


Stuck in the Middle

by PageTurner57



Series: Stuck in the Middle [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Multi, Polyamory, Threesome - F/M/M, bit of a slowburn, m/f/m, m/m/f
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-13
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-30 17:10:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 24,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13956219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PageTurner57/pseuds/PageTurner57
Summary: Sarah is a scholarship recipient for Stark Industries where she plans on doing her pre-thesis research. But when she falls, quite literally, into the lives of two super soldiers, are her butterflies just a crush? Or something more? And when her research is used for nefarious purposes, will she lose the trust of not only the Avengers, but the two men she’s fallen for?This story contains mostly fluff, eventual StevexOC and BuckyxOC (poly relationship). There are no content warnings in early chapters. They’ll be listed as necessary.





	1. Chapter 1

I’d only been at Stark Industries for a week, but still hadn’t done anything other than safety training. It was so safe, in fact, that I spent the whole time at the small desk in my apartment, reading information slideshows and listening to repetitive and unnecessary lectures on eye protection. It was like I’d never been in a lab before. The pedantic voiceover droned on in the background as I read a different, and wholly unrelated book. The previous intern must have left it; a crime novel set in the fifties. The lecture had finished, and I set the book aside to take the final safety quiz. Stark Industries’ biology department had put me up in one of their many apartments reserved for visiting scientists or employees who didn’t want to commute. It was generous, and rent-free. 

My first week consisted of safety training videos, watching tv, and occasionally visiting the gym. The company cafeteria, located one floor below the lobby, was well equipped and offered a variety of food options. I’d spent a fair amount of time there as well, whether it was with a cup of coffee and a book, or dinner by the television. It grew tedious, and I itched to get into that lab; I’d worked so hard to get here and my anxiety didn’t help, especially with the pressure of my thesis weighing on my mind. I kept in touch with my best friend, Kate, who kept suggesting that I explore Manhattan, but it was so intimidating, and I just kept making excuses.  

So on Friday night, at seven o’clock, I found myself sitting in the cafeteria with a plate full of food, watching Jeopardy. The cafeteria was mostly empty except for a few employees I’d seen in the hallways. I ate slowly, trying to burn more time; I had two days until I started in the lab, and though I was certain it would be another lengthy safety orientation, it was something. I’d tried earlier in the week to go out into the city, but two blocks away from Stark Tower, I panicked and returned to the quiet safety of my apartment. It wasn’t that I was afraid of people, it was the crowds, and the noise, and the overwhelming feeling of being so lost. Eventually, I figured, I’d make it out there.

Behind me, the elevator doors opened, and a few others shuffled out just as I was trying, and failing, to guess a right answer on Jeopardy. A few stragglers settled into tables throughout the room, some leaving, others relaxing as time passed. A while later, I returned my plate and searched for something sweet. Of course, Stark had an ice cream bar. Finding a bowl, I made my way across the cafeteria when suddenly, my feet slid out from beneath me. I landed with a  _ thud _ on the hard floor, my bowl shattering beside me. My tailbone hurt, but I think my pride took most of the pain as I sat up. Maybe no one saw that…

“Are you okay?”  _ Crap _ . 

“Yeah,” I sighed, looking up, then froze. Of course I not only make a clumsy fool of myself, but I do so in front of Captain America himself. I could feel my face redden. “Yeah… thanks.” I replied, accepting his hand as he helped me up. Then, I felt the wet spot on my jeans; I’d landed in a spill. “I… should get a broom for the broken-” Pausing, I watched as another person stood from brushing the shattered bowl into a small dustpan. 

“All taken care of,” He said, turning to meet me. “You alright?” His face seemed familiar, but something shiny caught my eye and it clicked: The Winter Soldier. 

“Yeah, thanks,” I replied, smoothing myself out. 

“You sure? You look a bit flushed,” Bucky replied.

“Yeah, just a bit embarrassed.” I chuckled nervously. “Thanks for the help.”  

Resting his hand on my shoulder, Steve smiled. “It’s no problem. I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Thanks,” I replied. “I’m Sarah, by the way.”

“Steve,” he said, and motioned to his friend: “Bucky.”  
“It’s nice to meet you,” I replied. 

“We were just going to get some ice cream,” Bucky said, then turned to Steve. “Because  _ someone _ ate all of mine. Would you like to join us?”

“Oh, wow, thanks. Yeah!” I replied, stepping carefully around the spill. “Maybe I should get something for that?”

“I’ve got it,” Steve replied. “You guys go and I’ll meet you.” I thanked him and followed Bucky toward the ice cream where he immediately began piling nearly every flavor into his bowl. I must have looked amazed, because he shrugged, smiling bashfully back at me. 

“What? My metabolism is ridiculous!”

“You should see him when he eats dinner,” Steve commented, appearing beside me.

“You’re one to talk,” Bucky parried, the two chuckling at their banter. I couldn’t help but to laugh along. Our bowls full, I followed them to a table, my palms itching with nervous sweat. I tried not to act like a crazy fangirl- I’m sure they had enough of that. I’d seen coverage of the New York invasion on the news, and footage of Bucky helping with other efforts, but never thought I’d actually run into them here. 

“So are you new?” Steve asked.

“Yeah, I was just hired for the genetic research team,” I replied.

“Cool- what are you studying?” Bucky asked.

“I’m actually working here as a part of my thesis.” Bucky nodded, spooning ice cream into his mouth. “I’m studying preventative measures for terminal illnesses and rare diseases. And... I’m actually basing it off of your altered immune systems.” There was a pause, and I expected them to get up and leave, but when they didn’t I laughed. “I didn’t expect to actually meet you guys!”

“So basically,” Steve said, swallowing his ice cream, “you think that the changes to us can be useful for more than just brute strength?”

“I mean, it’s not a super original idea,” I shrugged, “there are variations of it being studied, but I’m focusing on how your immune systems work, as well as your incredibly fast healing abilities and how that can translate to vaccines and treatments. Some of the research that Stark’s company has released is really promising.”

“That sounds really cool,” Bucky smiled. “It’s good to know that something good can come from all this.” We fell into a silence that, to me, felt awkward, but they didn’t seem to mind. “So when do you start your research?  
“I finished the mandatory training videos, so I start on Monday in the lab.”

“Are you going home for the weekend?”

“No,” I shook my head at Bucky. “They put me up in an apartment.”

“Ah,” Steve nodded. “So are you doing anything fun then?” I shrugged.

“Not really. I don’t know anyone here, so I was just going to stay in and review my preliminary research. Why do you ask?” Steve and Bucky exchanged glances, then Steve spoke.

“A few of us our going out tomorrow night. Why don’t you join us?”

“Us?”

“Yeah,” Bucky replied. “Nat, Bruce- if we can convince him. Maybe Stark’ll show up.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude-”

“We wouldn’t offer if we weren’t serious,” Bucky smiled. “Give me your room number and we’ll pick you up around 7.”

We parted in the elevator, stopping at my floor first. I said goodbye, promising that I’d be ready by 7, and hurried back to my room. All of the nervous laughter I’d held in poured out of me as I sat on my bed. Holy crap. As if researching at Stark Industries wasn’t cool enough, I’d just met, and had ice cream with Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes.

I texted Kate the whole story and got nothing but excited responses and questions. Were they as tall as they looked on tv? Yes! Were they attractive? Of course. They seemed so real, especially Steve; he acted like we were just regular people- friends even! I didn’t see any hint of self-righteousness that the papers said he had. But that smile, straight out of an old movie! Bucky, I haven't heard much of until recently. But even he was kind and welcoming. His playful smile wouldn't leave my mind; he probably smiled at every girl he saw like that, but it still didn’t take away my excitement. Another text made me pause:  _ what are you going to wear? _

Crap. I’d brought mostly comfortable and lab-appropriate clothes as well as one or two more professional outfits. I’d have to figure something out. 

  
***

Saturday morning seemed to take forever as I tossed and turned. I couldn’t figure out what I was more nervous about: starting my research on Monday, or going out on Saturday night. It was definitely going out. I was confident in my knowledge and my skills in the lab. My social life? Not so much. Honestly, I wasn’t sure whether it was my lack of an outfit, or not knowing what to say. Both. The answer was both. Well there wasn’t much I could do about it, at least so early. So I climbed out of bed and got ready for the day. 

The Stark gym was open twenty four hours, so I made my way there in hopes that I could burn out some of my nervous energy. After setting up my headphones and some Netflix, I settled into a rhythm on the elliptical machine. After a while, a new episode came on, and I nearly jumped out of my skin when I felt a tap on my arm. It was Steve. I pulled the headphones out of my ears and greeted him.

“I didn’t mean to scare you!” He smiled, holding his hands up.

“Sorry!” I laughed. 

“Good show?”

“Yeah, definitely.” He settled himself on the treadmill beside me. “You’re up early.”

“I’m a morning person.” He shrugged as if it was no big deal.

“I hate mornings.”

“And you’re here?” I paused.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“Everything okay?” His blue eyes focused on me, searching for any indication of injury. 

“Yeah, I just have a lot on my mind.” Silently he tilted his head, inviting me to continue. “I’m starting my lab research on Monday which means that in a few months I’ll be starting my dissertation. It’s just a lot to think about.”

“You sounded pretty excited about it last night,” Steve replied, punching the speed into the treadmill. “I’m sure your research will turn out great and you’ll have no problem with your dissertation.”

“Thanks, Steve,” I smiled. “I really appreciate it. So what are you up to today?”

“Nothing much,” he shrugged. “Laundry. Maybe read a bit more. I’m still catching up on a few years of books right now.”

“Reading anything good?”

“Uh…  _ Lord of the Flies _ at the moment,” he replied. 

“I remember that one. Light reading?” He laughed. 

“Yeah, I’m not a fan of it so far, but I get what they’re trying to show.” Pausing, he adjusted the treadmill again. “What about you?”

“Probably the same. Maybe watch tv or something. My friend keeps hounding me to go out, but I wouldn't know where to start.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…” I paused. “I’ve never been here before, so it’s a bit overwhelming.”

“Never?” I shook my head. “How’s this: after we finish here, we grab some breakfast and I’ll show you around. We’re going out at 7 and it’s still early.”

“Steve, you don’t have to do that,” I replied.

“I don’t  _ have _ to, but I want to,” He smiled. “What do you say?”

“Alright, you win!”

After we finished, I ran back to my apartment to shower and change. He met me shortly after, and we took the elevator down to the cafeteria together. He regaled me with stories of lost fights and how different the city was back before the war. Then, we chatted over coffee about nothing in particular. I loved watching him talk about his life before; his face would change and he’d smile, remembering his odd jobs and how Bucky used to get him out of trouble. His eyes lit up when he spoke about him and I wondered if the rumors online were true. Soon enough, Bucky appeared, joining our table with a plate full of food. 

“Hey! You didn’t invite me?” Bucky asked, glancing from me to Steve.

“You were still sleeping, Buck.” Steve replied. “And I know you hate being woken up.”

“Anyway,” I added, “ you’re welcome to join us now.”

“Thanks, doll,” Bucky smiled. I couldn’t help the blush that spread across my cheeks.

“Sarah here has never been to Manhattan before,” Steve began. “I’m going to show her around a bit after breakfast.”

“Sounds like fun,” Bucky replied. “Mind if I join you?” 

Steve glanced over at me, stage-whispering conspiratorially: “What do you think? Should we let him come?” I couldn’t stop a small laugh as I played along.

“I don’t know, it seems like he’d only attract trouble.”

“Me? Trouble?” Bucky gasped, holding his hands up in mock defense. “I’m an angel. Besides, has this guy told you about his fights? Trouble follows him.”

“He’s got a point, Steve,” I laughed. “Besides, seeing the city with two native Brooklyn-ites sounds like twice the fun.”

“I knew you’d come around,” Bucky teased. “Let me finish my food and I’ll get washed up.” Shortly after, I was once more in the elevator with them, but this time we made our way to Bucky’s room. Steve and I sat on the couch as he disappeared into his bedroom to change. 

It was an odd yet pleasing mixture of vintage and modern. The furniture and appliances were all new- no doubt Stark’s design, but the pictures, framed newspaper clippings, and knick-knacks around the room were definitely from the 50s. Looking closer, I noticed that a lot of the pictures had Steve in them some way or another. Beside the door, two bomber jackets were hanging up, both similar sizes, but one’s name patch was slightly visible: ROG- Could that be Steve’s? I felt his gaze on me and looked away; I’d been caught staring too long.

Truthfully, I didn’t mind Bucky tagging along, although it did feel nice to have Steve’s full attention. I’d always been attracted to him- what person wouldn’t? - but to get to know him was something else. Those hopeless butterflies were starting up, and they were only getting stronger.

“So where are we heading first?” I asked as Bucky joined us.

“You’ve got a ton of options,” Steve began, “there’s museums, shops, attractions…”

Bucky chimed in: “Let’s go walk around and see what catches our eye.”

“Sounds good to me!” I replied. Once more, we made our way down the elevator and through the building’s main entrance. Steve had tucked a well-worn ball cap on his head, the embroidery indicating that it was for a World War II veteran, and settled beside me. Bucky did the same, settling on the other side. 

The city was loud; there was no way to dispute that! Between the people and the music from restaurants and big, flashing billboards, it was all so much. Times Square, which I’d only ever seen on tv, was just as I’d anticipated. The warm autumn air seemed to breeze by with the cars and taxis that passed. We walked for a while, Steve pointing out an attraction or store he thought I’d like. There were, of course, less touristy places closer to Stark Tower, but the oversized windows with bright displays were fun to look at. 

As the crowds grew thicker, Bucky trailed along behind us, quiet for most of the time, only adding a thought or comment on occasion. Steve, however, was practically my tour guide. He even haggled down a cheesy “I heart NY” shirt for me after taking a few pictures with the store’s owner. By the time lunch rolled around, we were in the center of Times Square. The city was still overwhelming, but it felt less so, especially having someone who knew it intimately. I wasn’t worried about getting lost or looking stupid, even when I asked Steve how avenues and blocks worked. He’d explained it without hesitation or judgement and I knew that he would be a really good friend. We stopped at a food cart which looked questionable, but the two swore that there was never a better place to get a hot dog or pretzel. We found a spot on the large set of bleachers set up in the center area and chowed down. They were right: the food was really good! 

“Guys, thank you so much for taking me out today!” I said, stretching my achy feet out across the seat in front of me. 

“It’s our pleasure,” Bucky smiled, tapping his foot against mine. “Everyone needs a good day in the city.”

“I’m serious- you guys make me feel so welcome.”

“You  _ are _ welcome,” Steve smiled, and nudged my shoulder. It felt good to have a friend, especially two who were so kind. 

“We should go to one of these places sometime,” Bucky suggested. “Maybe the wax museum?”

“Oh that’d be cool!” I nodded.

“It’s a date then.” Bucky smiled up at me. 

“Was there anything else you wanted to see?” Steve asked. I looked across the massive area and a really cheesy idea popped into my mind.

“Actually…” I paused, wondering if I should actually suggest it. They seemed playful enough. “I’d like a picture with Captain America.”

Steve paused, his eyebrows bent in confusion. A moment later, Bucky started to laugh, finally seeing what I’d noticed earlier. “I think I’d like one too,” he added. 

“Huh? Oh… oh!” Steve’s gaze finally settled on the costumed character across the way. Bucky’s smile turned wolfish. “No way guys, really?”

“Please?” I asked, leaning into his side. He sighed and nodded, following me and Bucky down the bleachers toward the mass of costumed characters. Fetching my phone from my purse, I flagged down the Captain America guy who smiled at three new customers. 

“No,” Steve said, taking my phone away, “if I have to do this, you two are coming in the picture with me!”

“What do you think, Bucky?” I asked. He grinned, snatching Steve’s hat and placed it on my head. 

“Let’s do this.” When it was our turn, Steve handed my phone to the character’s companion and we all huddled in, Steve’s arm wrapped around my shoulder while the other showed a thumbs up to match the character’s pose. Bucky handed the guy a few dollars and we made our way back toward the tower, Steve’s arm still across the back of my shoulders, his hand gently resting on the side of my arm. 

There were still a few hours until we’d be heading out, so we all piled into the elevator and went back up to Bucky’s room where we promptly collapsed onto the couch. I was situated in the middle, and settled into Steve’s side, his arm staying draped across my shoulders. Bucky set the tv on a game show, and I felt myself start to drift off. The tv’s dull noise lulled me deeper and I rested my head on Steve, listening to the steady beat of his heart, and fell asleep. 

***

Something shifted beneath me and I felt myself pulled into that semi-sleep, just long enough to hear someone say: “It’s alright, sweetheart. Go back to sleep.” Happy to oblige, I faded back into dreams.  


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for stopping by for chapter 2!

The first thing I felt was a warm touch on my cheek. It was nice and though it woke me, I didn’t want to wake up. “Sarah…” Slowly I blinked awake, focusing on Bucky’s face, his warm smile greeting me. “Hey, sweetheart.” Then, it hit me: I had fallen asleep. In Bucky’s apartment. On Steve. 

“Oh god, I’m so sorry!” I sat up, pushing a blanket away. Where’d that come from? 

Don’t be sorry,” he chuckled, moving to sit beside me. 

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” Yawning, I rubbed my eyes. “What time is it?”

“A little after 5.”

“Crap.” I really hope I didn’t drool on Steve.

“Don’t worry,” Bucky smiled, placing his hand on my knee. “We all fell asleep.” Admittedly, it made me feel a bit better, but I was still embarrassed. A bit more awake, I stood, stretching my arms. 

“Thanks again,” I smiled. “I had more fun today than I’ve had in a while.” This seemed to please him, and he smiled down at me, genuinely happy. There was no mischief, no flirting.

“Same here.” He followed me to the door. “Do you want me to walk you to your room?”

“I think I can make it,” I replied. 

Back in my room, I jumped in the shower to get ready for the evening. When I was hired as a researcher, I never expected to meet anyone outside of the lab, and I definitely didn’t expect to be hanging out with the Avengers. I replayed the day in my head- Steve’s arm around my shoulder, the way he’d guided me through the busy sidewalks of Manhattan as if we’d known each other forever. But there was no way he could be flirting with me. Why else would he invite Bucky to our outing? And why did it look like they lived together? The slight tinge of disappointment stung, but I decided that I’d enjoy it while it lasted. Besides, he was already a good friend, and I hoped the Avengers would be the same. 

Thankfully, Bucky had woken me up with enough time to blow out my hair, and when I was done, I faced my closet. There wasn’t much, but I settled for a pair of black leggings with a dark red tunic top and a thin, black belt. I threw on some black flats with a few minutes left to spare. I had a feeling we’d be out late, so I logged onto my laptop and finished up some last minute things. Not long after, there was a knock at my door. 

Steve stood in the doorway, a small bouquet of flowers in a pretty glass vase cradled in his arms. “Hi!” He said, a bashful smile spreading across his lips. “These are for you.”

“Oh, Steve,” I gasped, taking the beautiful arrangement from him. The flowers were fresh and smelled beautiful. “Thank you so much!” Steve followed me into the room as I placed the flowers on my windowsill. “They’re so beautiful, Steve. Thank you!”

“I’m glad you like them,” he replied, accepting my small hug. When I pulled back, he kept his hands on my arms, gazing down at me. After a moment, he stepped back, clearing his throat awkwardly. “So… everyone will be in the lobby in a few minutes.”

“Great, let me just grab my things.” I tucked my phone and key into my wristlet and followed Steve through the hall. 

He wasn’t lying when he said everyone. I recognized everyone there, so the fear of learning new names dissipated; I’d only need to figure out how to talk to everyone. Steve gave a general introduction to everyone before taking my hand and following the group out onto the sidewalk. Mr. Stark, who insisted that I call him Tony, led us to an Americana restaurant where the maitre’d led us back to a private room where cell phones couldn’t reach us. Ever the gentleman, Steve pulled a chair out for me, settling beside me once I was seated. Bucky sat on my opposite side, talking with Nat in hushed… Russian? Dr. Banner sat across from me, and Tony, Wanda, and Clint settled in the other seats. Drinks were ordered and friendly banter bubbled up across the table. 

“So Sarah,” Dr. Banner began, “Steve tells me that you’re starting in one of our labs on Monday?”

“Yeah, I’ll be working with the microbiology research department,” I replied. 

“Immunity?” He asked and I nodded. 

Across the table, Tony interjected: “Is she the scholarship recipient?”

“That’s me,”I laughed, wiping the nervous sweat from my hands which Steve took in his. 

“Scholarship?” He asked and I nodded. “You never mentioned a scholarship. That’s cool!” 

“Thanks,” I replied; I could feel everyone’s eyes on me and shifted nervously. “Yeah, they hired me as a lab assistant while I work on my dissertation. That’s the scholarship part.” Bucky whispered a quiet, wow as Dr. Banner added:

“That means you’ll be working with me.” 

I froze, staring at the doctor in hopes that I heard him correctly. “Wait… I’m working with you?” He nodded. “Oh my god, Dr. Banner I’m so excited!”

“Bruce,” he reminded me, chuckling at my response. 

“Right, Bruce, sorry,” I mirrored, swallowing the excited giggles that threatened to pour out. “Sorry, I’m just so excited.” The table resumed their small conversations as Dr. Banner- Bruce, and I began to talk shop. My thesis was inspired by some of his own research on not just Steve and Bucky’s, but his own genetic alterations. And working with such an experienced scientist would not only help me in my own research, but in my lab experience. Most of my theory was researched based; my state school didn’t have a complicated lab, but my professors made sure that I had access to any research I could possibly need. As we spoke, Steve broke away, apparently confused by our topic, but his hand still held mine, his thumb gently running across my knuckles every so often.

When the food came, he let go, but glanced over every so often with a small smile on his face. Tony’s voice carried through the room as he made a dirty joke and as I looked over, I noticed Bucky’s stare, piercing through me. He looked mad, like he’d been hurt. Nat whispered something in his ear and he broke his stare, glancing down at his food, refusing to meet my gaze. When the waiter came back, Tony handed him his credit card, and shortly after we returned outside. 

“Karaoke!” Tony announced and we followed along. I stuck next to Bruce, chatting about nothing in particular, and Steve stayed, holding my hand as we walked. I could feel Bucky’s stare and turned to make sure I wasn’t imagining it. He walked by himself, trailing behind until we reached the karaoke bar. Tony acquired a few tables and we filed in, a few people perusing the drink menus. Hesitantly, I approached Tony who looked up at the cash in my hand. “What’s this?”

“For my dinner?” I replied and he scoffed, waving my hand away. 

“Nope, your money’s no good here.” 

“Are you sure?” I asked, but Nat answered:

“He won’t take it, Sarah, just give up.”

“Thank you,” I replied and wandered toward the bar. The bartender handed me a beer and I slid her a few dollars in return. I watched the group in the mirror behind the bar; they were talking, laughing, and looked so happy. I saw Bucky as he approached, flagging the bartender down for a beer. 

“How’s it going?” He asked.

“Good.” I shrugged. “Bucky, is everything okay?”

“Yeah, doll. Why?”

“You seemed upset when you were talking to Nat.” He shook his head, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. 

“Nah, just some mission stuff,” he replied. 

“Alright,” I shrugged. “If you say so.” With that, I made my way back to the table where Steve waited, draping his arm across the back of my chair.

“Everything okay?” Steve asked and I nodded. Bucky followed at the next table, his stare boring into my side. Then it hit me- I was coming between them. There was obviously something I was missing. I sipped my beer, watching a few songs before I couldn’t take it anymore. I felt so wrong, so out of place. “I’m gonna head out,” I said, “Thanks again for tonight.” 

“Sarah, wait-” Steve called, but I wound through the tables until I reached the door, but his hand on my shoulder stopped me. “Wait! What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I replied. “I’m just going to head back. I’m tired.”

“Let me walk you back.” He opened the door, leading me outside where it was much quieter. 

“I’ll take a cab.”

“Sarah, wait-” I paused, feeling so guilty as I looked up at him. “I thought, I don’t know… that we’d really… hit it off?”

“It’s just,” I sighed, rubbing my arm. “I just don’t want to come between you and Bucky. I don’t break friendships, Steve, it’s not who I am.” He watched me, confusion wrinkling his forehead. “Listen, don’t be mad at Bucky, okay? Friendships are more important.”

“Sarah-” we paused; Bucky had followed us outside. “It’s not like that.”

“Wait… are you two…” The glanced at each other, guilt written across their faces. “Wait, you’re together? Why didn’t you say something?” 

“Sarah-” Steve reached out to touch me, but I shook his hand away. 

“No, Steve, you don’t get to do that.” I moved around him, hailing a cab, but they all drove past. 

“Just listen for a minute,” Bucky said, taking my outstretched hand which I pulled back.

“No! You led me on, Steve. And you’re not so innocent either, Bucky. That’s not okay!” Tears of embarrassment burned at my eyes and I tried to push them away. It was just before. 

“Please, just listen for a minute,” Steve said. He looked so hurt, as did Bucky, and I felt terrible, though why I wasn’t sure; it’s not like it was my fault! “We’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you.”

“So saying sorry, Sarah, but we’re a thing is hard to figure out?” I spat. 

“No, it’s not like that,” Steve replied. “Can we?” He motioned back toward the bar and I complied, folding my arms across my chest. “Bucky and I, we are a thing, but it’s a bit different.” 

“I don’t do open relationships.” I stated.

“That’s not what he means,” Bucky added. “We are together, but we both really like you. I know you like Steve and I think you like me too.”

“So…?”

“We want you to be with us.” I glanced back and forth from Steve to Bucky, trying to process it. 

“So I’ll be your girlfriend while also being your girlfriend?” I asked. 

“And we’ll both be your boyfriends.” Bucky nodded. “It’s not an open relationship. We’re committed to each other and we were hoping you’d be willing to try it with us.” My mind was racing- I’d only ever been in monogamous relationships before, but I did really like them both. And they seemed so happy with each other.

“So it’ll just be the three of us?” I asked and they nodded. “No one else? No adding or sharing?”

“Well we’ll be sharing each other, but no one else.” Steve confirmed. “I’m sorry if we made you think otherwise.” 

“But why were you glaring at me, Bucky?” He ran his flesh hand through his hair, sighing.

“I was jealous,” he replied. “It was stupid, but I was jealous that Steve was getting all of the attention and worried that you’d say no.”

“Buck, did you think I’d leave you if she said no?” Steve reached out, taking Bucky’s hand in his, but he only shrugged. “You know I’d never do that.” He pulled Bucky closer and wrapped his arms around him. “Come on, you know I’d never hurt you like that. I love you.” As I watched them embrace, I could see how they really did love each other, and it made me feel even more affectionate toward them. When Bucky pulled away, he turned to me. 

“I’m sorry I acted like that,” he said, and I smiled.

“It’s so obvious that you love each other.” I replied. “Are you sure you want this?” Bucky nodded. 

“We’ve been talking about finding another person,” Steve answered. “So what do you think?” It was such a foreign thought to me- having two committed partners. Realistically, I’d only known them for two days, not even! But I was attracted to both of them. “If you want to think on it, that’s fine.”

“I think I will,” I replied. “But I want to talk to you guys about it, like really talk about it.”

“Of course,” Bucky added. “Tomorrow. We’ll talk about everything tomorrow. Is that ok?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Steve’s hand rested on my arm.

“Do you still want to go back?” I looked up at his kind, blue eyes, then over to Bucky’s soft brown ones. 

“Let’s stay.” We shuffled back into the bar and returned to our abandoned seats, Bucky pulling a chair up beside me. Tony and Bruce were on stage, singing a very poor version of Livin’ on a Prayer. After their song finished, and the roaring applause died down, I pushed my chair back to get up. 

“Where are you going?” Bucky asked, gently taking my hand.

“I’m getting another beer,” I replied. “Do you want anything?” Steve turned, waiving the waiter over to our table. 

“Can we get three beers?” The waiter disappeared and I sat back down.

“Steve, I could have gone,” I argued. 

“You’re not buying our beers, sweetheart,” he replied. “Besides, Stark has a strict Avengers policy that none of our money is good with him.”

  

“Doesn’t that break some sort of employer/employee rule?” Bucky nudged my shoulder with his, leaning into my ear:

“Come on, live a little. Besides, Stark takes it personally.”

Steve added: “And it’s not like he’s hurting for it.” They were right, so I shrugged and followed suit, enjoying the fresh beer and fries that came to our table. It didn’t take long for Bucky to take Steve’s place with his arm over my shoulder while Steve’s hand rested on my knee. It definitely felt weird, but I liked it; if they loved each other so much that they had enough love to share for someone else, then who was I to judge? I lay my hand over Steve’s and leaned into Bucky and decided that I’d take it one day at a time. 

Not long after, and a few beers later, Steve was dragging me on stage. When the music came on, I immediately started laughing, watching as Steve started rapping to Nicki Minaj. We sang along, getting tongue tied and stammering through the song until the painful minutes finally passed and we made our way back to the table. The rest of the night passed by filled with laughter and even more good food. I switched to water shortly after, which Tony scolded me for, but we laughed it off at my expense. 

“Do you want to head back?” Bucky asked, leaning close. I nodded, trying to hide yet another yawn. Steve noticed too and we said our goodbyes, waving to the others as we headed out. 

“Mind if we walk home?” Steve asked, taking my hand in his. 

“Not at all,” I replied, and took Bucky’s hand too. It wasn’t a far walk, but we didn’t rush, taking our time as they pointed out how things used to look. It was weird not to be able to see the stars, or to feel that the world had gone to sleep; the city was always awake, it seemed. Back at Stark Tower, Steve scanned his small key chain ID, unlocking the door and the elevator. The ride up was quiet, but not in an awkward way; we were all tired, and though I didn’t want to leave them, I had a lot to think about. They walked me to my room, although I told them that I could make it myself. 

“Thanks for hearing us out,” Bucky said, kissing me on the cheek. 

“And thanks for coming with us,” Steve added, doing the same. 

“Thank you for being so welcoming,” I replied. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow then?” 

They didn’t leave until I’d closed and locked my door; I peeked through the peep-hole to see if they’d gone before turning back, fumbling into pajamas, and slipping into sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for stopping by and sticking with me for chapter 3! Things get interesting in this chapter and there's more coming soon!!!

I wasn’t sure if I was awake; my dimly glowing alarm clock showed that it was 3am, but it didn’t feel real. I could see him clearly, stuttering through a half-assed apology as he broke my heart. It’s been hard for me, can’t you understand? The painful betrayal that he’d caused was still so fresh. Everyone knew, and everyone said that it had to be my fault- that he’d been just fine before me. I knew that wasn’t true; I shouted it soundlessly at their voices until I sat up in bed, the room eerily silent, and my alarm clock showing an illuminated 4am. I buried my face in my pillow and willed myself to go back to sleep. 

It was late when I finally rolled out of bed, my dreams rotating between a comfortable nothingness and the judging faces of the people back home. Anxiety coiled and settled in my stomach, weighing it down like I’d swallowed stones. I hated my anxiety. It was a burden and a pain, especially when it really made itself known. Would they care?

After dressing, I made my way down to the cafeteria, collecting some eggs, toast, and coffee. I chose a table in the corner where I could sit quietly and attempt to gather my thoughts. I didn’t see them, but Bucky had a kitchen in his apartment. As I ate, I flipped through my phone, returning to the picture we took in Times Square. I had fun that day, but that was when I thought Steve was pursuing me. Now, I had them both to think of. Was that something I could handle? Truthfully, I wasn’t sure I could even handle myself at this point, but I felt a connection with them that I hadn’t before in my few previous relationships. But what if things went south? I wanted to believe that they’d be okay, and we could be friends, but everyone says that and no one really follows through with it. And if I was going to keep working here after my dissertation, which was months away…

I had months until my dissertation was finished. What harm could be done if we tried this new relationship out for a few weeks? Truthfully, I was nervous, and not just because it was one more person than I was used to, but because I feared their rejection. And that told me everything; if I was nervous about them leaving, then maybe I really did want this. My phone lit up, pulling me from my thoughts. 

Steve: Hey, are you up yet?

Me: Yeah, just finishing breakfast.

Steve: Do you want to come up when you’re done?

Me: Sure. Be up soon.

I took a few more minutes, finishing my last bits of cold toast before I was in the elevator heading up to Bucky’s room. I’d barely knocked on the door once before it opened, Bucky meeting me with a warm smile that pushed all of my doubt and anxiety away. 

I was doomed.

Steve was already there, sitting with his feet up as he sipped some coffee, but he stood as I came in, wrapping me in a big hug after Bucky did the same. They led me to the kitchen where I took a seat at the breakfast bar, my hands wrapped around a fresh cup of coffee. This time, the silence was awkward. I felt so comfortable around them, but I still had that nagging weight in my stomach that wouldn’t go away. 

“Can someone say something?” Bucky asked, glancing between me and Steve. 

“Yeah, please,” I laughed, and Steve cleared his throat.

“So I guess you have some questions?” I nodded. 

“I just…” Sighing, I rubbed my sweaty hands across my jeans. “I need to know that this is real. That you guys aren’t doing this to cover anything up, or… I just need to know why you guys want this.” 

Bucky glanced at Steve who nodded for him to answer. “Sarah, Steve and I love each other, we have for years. And even with that love, we feel like something, or someone, has been missing from our life together. We’ve been talking about maybe bringing someone into our relationship for about a year now and since we both really like you, and it seems that you like us, we wanted to ask you to join us.” When I didn’t reply, Steve continued:

“If you’re thinking that we want you around to cover up our relationship, there couldn’t be anything farther from the truth. We’re pretty open about it with everyone we know. We don’t go around broadcasting our private business, but our friends know and that’s all that really matters. We’re both new to the idea of having a poly relationship, so we’d take it a day at a time.” Gently placing his hand on mine, he continued. “The three of us would have to be comfortable with everything. There’s always going to be compromise and communication, but the most important part is that we are all comfortable with the relationship.”

“What is it that’s making you so nervous?” Bucky asked. I knew this would come up. Well, I might as well get it out of the way now.

“I lived in a really conservative area.” I began. “You know, the whole pray the gay away bull. And I dated this guy in high school and through most of college. I thought that we would have a life together. We were committed, and I respected his wanting to wait until we got married to be physical. That’s how I was raised, at least, but I never understood the obsession with someone’s sexuality. Anyway… one day on summer break, we meet up for some lunch in town.” I could feel the heat rising to my face and tried to push it away, taking my hand back from Steve. “He told me that he’d been using me to lie to his family. That he’d known he was gay since he was a kid. In the beginning, he said that he needed to make sure that he wasn’t suspected, but once he was in college, he didn’t know how to break it off with me. Once he’d found some freedom away from his family, he was able to meet someone. I asked him why he didn’t just tell me from the start and he said that he was afraid of what I’d think. I mean… we’d talked about this kind of stuff all the time when we were together; I was always a supporter, though I had to keep it quiet from my family, and he knew this. 

“He used me for years, took advantage of my affection for him. He was my best friend, and when it came out, and he left the college to move out of state with his partner, my whole community, and even my parents blamed me. It was like I’d given him some illness or that something was wrong with me. I was shunned, my parents were shunned. I mean, I’m happy he found someone. And I’m happy he can be true to himself, but to use me for all of those years.” I scoffed, cupping the coffee mug in my hands. “He could have asked; I’d have done anything for him. But since then, I’ve had a hard time really having relationships because I don’t know what’s true and what’s not. 

“I went on a few dates after that, but nothing felt right. After college, I started working on my post-grad and met a really nice guy. I thought that finally I found someone I could stay with, at least for a while. But he took advantage of me- he cheated on me and played me to the point that it was my fault for his infidelity because I was a virgin and honestly nervous about being intimate. So honestly, I’m really scared that it’ll happen again. I’ve already lost my family’s support for my research; they have this ridiculous notion that it’s ‘playing God’ even though I’ve explained it so many times. So that’s it. The whole thing. That’s why I’m really hesitant. Not because I think that who you are is wrong, or what you want is wrong, but because I’ve been hurt so many times, I don’t think I can handle it again.”

I didn’t want to look at them; I knew that after all that, they’d probably call off the whole thing. We could be friends, god knows I really liked them both and enjoyed their company, but would they look at me the same way? I didn’t realize I was crying until I felt a hand on my back, guiding me to rest my head on a strong shoulder. 

“Doll,” Bucky began, “we lived during that. And we know how that kid must have felt, but there was no reason for him to lie to you. Look at me?” Slowly I lifted my eyes to him and he smiled. “I promise that I will never lie to you. And I promise that this isn’t some ruse and that we won’t pressure you in to anything you don’t want. All I want is someone to share my love with.” 

“Same here, sweetheart,” Steve added, leaning against the counter beside me. “We both love each other, and we want to share our love with someone special. We’re not asking you to dive into this blindly. And we’re not asking you to do anything that you’re not comfortable with. If you want to try this, then we can. And if not, or if it doesn’t feel right, then we’ll stay friends. Because we both really like you.”

“I feel like such an idiot,” I sighed, covering my face. “I can’t believe I said all that out loud. I don’t think I’ve ever really told anyone the whole story.”

“Don’t say that,” Steve replied, “You’re not an idiot. You were hurt, and you were taken advantage of. I promise that we won’t do that. That’s not who we are.”

 

“Captain Good-Guy over here,” Bucky laughed, nudging me playfully. “He’d never hurt anyone.”

“And you guys? This won’t separate you?” I asked and they shook their heads.

“Nah,” Bucky replied. “We’ll work out the kinks. What do you say? Want to try?”

“I do,” I nodded. “So where do we start?” Bucky released me, just a bit, taking the seat beside me to keep his arm around my shoulders. 

“Well, maybe we should go on some dates? Hang out some more?” Steve replied.

“And they don’t always have be all of us together,” Bucky added. “Sometimes we’ll go out, or you and Stevie’ll go out, and maybe I’ll take him.”

“That sounds fair. But I have one request.” I said. “No lies. No hiding anything, no omitting anything, nothing like that. I want honesty.”

“Sounds fair to me.” Steve nodded and Bucky agreed. “So what do you say? Want to stay here and watch some tv?”

“Maybe take a nap?” Bucky teased, but I nudged him back. 

***

At first, it did feel a bit weird. I was raised on heterosexual monogamy, so finding myself not only having a crush on, but being with two guys (who also loved each other) was a new experience. They were so comfortable with each other that they always seemed to ease my anxiety. And I was wanted, not by someone who’d take advantage of me, but by two people who cared greatly for me. We were nowhere near the L word, but I knew that I really did care for them more than I’d cared for anyone in the past. 

When Monday rolled around, I was out of bed insanely early, showered, dressed, and pacing. I knew I should get downstairs to eat something, but my stomach didn’t want to hold anything except the ten ton rock of nerves that currently weighed me down. I was taken by surprise when there was a knock at my door, and when I peeked through the peephole, I saw that it was my guys. Why were they up so early?

“Morning,” I smiled, kissing them each on the cheek as they shuffled into my room. “Why are you up this early?”

“We came to make sure you ate something before going up to meet Bruce,” Bucky replied, leaning against the doorframe. 

“You guys don’t have to do that,” I replied. “I’m fine.”

“Did you eat?” 

“Um…” Steve shook his head.

“Come on. Food. Now.” 

Bucky pushed away from the wall and took my hand. “Come on, he won’t take no for an answer.” Gathering my things, I followed them out and into the hall. I was so antsy that Bucky began to rub my back, soothing my worry. 

“I don’t know if it’s excitement or nervousness.” I sighed.

“Well you’ve met Bruce,” Steve added, “and you watched all those videos, and it sounded like you two discussed your research on Saturday, so I think you’re excited.” 

“It’s hard to tell the difference sometimes,” I replied. “But yeah it’s probably excitement.” The elevator doors opened and we made our way into the cafeteria where I filled my plate with some eggs and toast. But when I went to get coffee, Bucky pushed me toward the decaf, whispering:

“You’re already antsy enough. Let’s not do caffeine, huh?” I laughed and complied. Honestly, maybe he was right. They kept me distracted with talks about recent sparring matches and stories from their time back before the war; I loved watching them interact, the way their eyes traced each other’s faces with such love that I almost envied them. They had been through so much, and to keep their love for each other through it all was amazing. 

“Right, Sarah?” I snapped out of my thoughts to find them waiting on my response. 

“Oh… uh…”

“I told you she was spacing out,” Bucky chuckled, nudging Steve. “All those old war stories put people to sleep!”

“No, I’m sorry! I was just… thinking.”

“Anything good?” Bucky winked and I blushed. 

“Not really,” I shrugged. “I really should be going though. It’s getting late and I do not want to be late on my first day!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for sticking with me for four chapters! Things will start to pick up in the next chapter or so! So stay tuned and enjoy! :)

They walked me to the lab, each giving me a kiss on the cheek before I swiped my ID and entered the facility. It was relatively quiet as I walked down the long hallway, passing small offices and rooms with large windows where people in lab coats worked at microscopes or computers. About halfway down, I found Dr. Banner’s office and knocked. However, the door opened on its own, and I came face to face with Tony. 

“Hey!” He smiled. “Looking for Bruce?”

“Yeah, thanks,” I replied. Behind him, Bruce called to invite me in. I watched as Tony shut the door behind me and took a seat. 

“OK, Sarah,” Bruce began, “I know from our previous discussion that you’re sick and tired of safety protocols, but if I don’t show you everything and have you sign these safety documents, Tony will have my head.” The safety tour Bruce took me on ended up being more fun and interesting than I thought. Not only did I get a full tour of the lab, at least the one floor, I got to peak into a few other departments, taking in all of the newest technology possible. There were machines I’d never even heard of that Tony had acquired; if he didn’t seem eccentric before, he certainly did now. But I knew that his work did good things; Bruce walked me by a small conference room where a group of people argued over a diagram on a hologram projector. In another, two people worked on a calculation that was mostly strange symbols on a whiteboard. 

Bruce’s lab had the obligatory chemical wash, eye wash, fire extinguisher, and every other precaution you could think of. He showed me his own research and where I’d be working and where I could keep my notes and other things that I wanted to bring. By the end of the tour, and many pauses as he went on tangents, it was time for lunch. 

We joined a few others from the lab in the elevator to make our way to the cafeteria, Bruce saying a few shy “hello’s” as we passed. I followed him to a table in a quiet corner of the cafeteria with a plate of hot food. We ate in mutual silence, my mind still reeling from the amazing tour he’d given me. It didn’t feel awkward; Bruce definitely seemed like the kind of person who wouldn’t mind sitting in content quiet. Halfway through our lunch, a vaguely familiar face approached, seating herself beside Bruce. She was pretty with long, blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. 

“Hey, I thought we had lunch plans!” She said playfully. “Who’s your friend?” It took a moment for Bruce to process her presence, but when he did, he covered his mouth. 

“Renee, I’m so sorry!” He gasped. “I totally forgot! This is Sarah. She’s my new lab assistant.” Gesturing to his friend, he continued: “Sarah, this is Renee. She’s in the engineering lab. And apparently I got a bit carried away with my tour this morning that I completely forgot I’d meet her for lunch!” 

“It’s nice to meet you,” I smiled, reaching my hand across to shake hers.

“Likewise.” Renee replied. “So you’re his new lab assistant?” I nodded. “Well, if I could give you some advice? This guy can remember dozens of complicated formulas, but can’t remember meeting dates and times to save his life. Keep a calendar.” Bruce shrugged, pushing the food on his plate around in a sad attempt at hiding his blush. 

“That’s not fair,” Bruce laughed, but Renee shrugged. “It’s accurate though… Let me finish real quick and we can go back up to your office.” Then, turning to me: “Do you mind? I completely forgot…”

“Not at all. I’ll make it back up in a bit.” I replied. “It was really nice meeting you, Renee.”

“Same!” Bruce finished the last of his lunch and they disappeared into the crowded cafeteria. She seemed nice, and she worked in engineering. I vaguely wondered if she ever worked on any of the Iron Man suits until I saw a familiar figure cross the room. I watched as Bucky’s solid shoulders maneuvered around the tables filled with employees. At first, I’d been hit with butterflies from Steve, but I found myself in the same situation with Bucky, now that I’d seen past his more angsty antics. His figure was intimidating, and he carried himself with a relaxed confidence, as if he knew his own strength, but didn’t care if anyone else did. To him, he seemed just like any other person in the room. 

He sat at a table with a few of the other Avengers and began spooning ice cream into his mouth. For some reason, I wasn’t surprised; he seemed like the type of guy to have a sweet tooth. I felt like a silly teenager again, sitting across the room while watching my crush who was unknowingly the subject of my admiration. He laughed at something and the corner of his mouth tilted into a smile. Then he turned, and his eyes locked onto mine, and his smile grew playful. I’d been caught staring and felt the heat rise to my face. He nudged his head, asking me silently to join him. 

Part of me didn’t want to- he seemed so relaxed and happy with them. And I wasn’t a part of that group- I was an outsider. But when I shook my head, he flashed me his puppy-dog eyes and I caved. I guess I’d have to overcome that fear eventually… I discarded my empty plate and wound my way through the tables until I found him. I desperately wanted to stand behind him and run my fingers through his hair, but that would be so weird, especially in front of everyone… I tucked that thought away in the back of my mind for later and took a seat beside him. 

“Hey, doll.” He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. “Why were you by yourself?”

“I was with Bruce earlier,” I shrugged, “he had a lunch meeting.” Then, turning to the others at the table, I greeted them. 

“How’s your first day in the lab?” Nat asked, sipping a cup of tea. 

“Pretty good,” I replied. “Bruce gave me the safety tour- the long version.” Across the table, another man laughed. 

“We all know Bruce and his lab safety,” Nat laughed. “This is Sam, by the way.”

“Sarah,” I replied. “You’re…”

“Falcon,” he nodded. “I heard you guys went to karaoke without me this weekend?” 

Nat shrugged. “I did no such thing.” Sam’s gaze moved to Bucky who also shrugged, then to me. 

“I plead the fifth,” I laughed, wiping my sweaty hands on my pants. 

“Well next time, ya’ll are inviting me.” 

“We’ll try to remember.” Sam glared over at Nat who smirked behind her tea. Sam laughed and turned to Bucky, asking him about a recent mission he’d taken with Steve. Bucky’s arm rested across the back of my chair and I desperately wanted to stay there. I was excited about starting in the lab, and since the safety tour was over, I’d definitely be doing something. But there was that lingering insecurity that I couldn’t kick out. I picked nervously at my nails, trying my best to pay attention to what they were talking about, but I didn’t understand anything. Glancing down at my phone, I saw that it was almost time to head back up. Bucky must have noticed too, as he lifted his arm as I moved to stand.

“I have to get going,” I said, tucking my phone into my pocket. “I’ll see you guys later.” 

“Bye, doll,” Bucky smiled, pecking me on the cheek. “I’ll see you tonight?”

“It’s a date.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooh chapter 5! Thanks for sticking with me! In the next few chapters, things will get a wee bit angsty and, since we've got two of our favorite super soldiers here, be prepared for some well deserved action!

By the time Bruce and I had finished for the day, I was exhausted. Swiping out of the lab, I checked my phone to see a few texts from the guys asking that I come up to Bucky’s room when I got out. I wanted to see them, but I wanted to shower and sleep first. I took the elevator up to Bucky’s room and knocked. It took longer than usual for someone to answer the door, but when they did, it was Steve, smiling down at me. 

“Honey, I’m home,” I called, following him into the apartment. From across the room, Bucky laughed. 

“Hey sweetheart.” Steve pulled me into a tight hug and kissed my cheek. “Buck’s in the kitchen. He said you came down at lunch today?”

“Hm? Yeah.” I followed Steve to find Bucky peeking into the window of the oven. “Hey doll! Give me a second. I think these are done…” 

“What are you making?” I asked, standing behind him to sniff. There were two pots on the stove as well, one large, one small, and their dining room table was set with three place settings. “What’s all this?”

“We’re making you dinner,” Steve replied. 

“Wait, what? Why?” Bucky laughed at my confusion as he stirred something in the large pot. 

“Because it was your first day and we wanted to surprise you.” He held the wooden spoon out to Steve who plucked the piece of pasta off and tossed it into his mouth.

“Perfect,” he nodded. 

“Is there anything I can do?” I asked and they both shook their heads.

“You might want to move though.” Steve said, shifting me out of the way. “Wouldn’t want you get burned.” I did as he asked and watched the two of them work together, straining the pasta and mixing in the sauce. I cringed, however, as Bucky reached into the oven with his metal hand to retrieve the biscuits, but he only winked; I guess it didn’t hurt him. When they’d finished, I followed them to the table where they filled the plates and handed out beers. They each sat on opposite sides of the table, leaving the middle seat for me. 

“Guys, you didn’t have to do this, really!” I said as Bucky spooned some pasta onto my plate. 

“We don’t have to do anything we don’t want to, Sarah.” Steve smiled at me over his beer. “Besides, you didn’t eat much this morning and I have a feeling you didn’t eat much at lunch either.” 

“I was nervous,” I shrugged. 

“So how was it?” Bucky asked, digging in. The pasta smelled so good and I dumped some mozzarella cheese on top of my plate before taking a bite. 

“Guys, this is so good!” I said, covering my full mouth. “Thank you so much!”

“You’re very welcome,” Steve replied. “How was your first day?”

“Honestly? It was a bit overwhelming,” I began, “but Bruce is really nice and really passionate about his work. I think once I get used to the layout of the lab and his methods, I’ll be a bit more comfortable.”

“Passionate isn’t the word for Bruce,” Bucky laughed. “It sounds like you enjoyed it though. And he’s a good guy. He’ll help you out.”

“I can tell it’s going to be a really great experience. Oh- and have you seen half the equipment in the labs? It’s insane!” 

“Doll, I’m still getting over half the new technology I’ve missed,” Bucky laughed. “But yeah, Bruce has brought us in there a few times. We’ve given him some blood and tissue samples to help with his research.”

“Tony really doesn’t cut corners, does he?” I laughed. 

“Tony’s not the kind of guy to buy discount,” Steve nodded. “But he’s a good guy when we wants to be.”

“So how was your guys day?” Bucky and Steve shrugged. “Come on, what do you guys do during your day?”

“We train,” Bucky shrugged. “That, and when there’s a mission to complete, we go. But otherwise, we train and help train the new SHIELD agents.”

“SHIELD is still being rebuilt,” Steve added, “We work with Directory Fury on most of that, but Stark puts us up here since most of our equipment is stored safely here. In case of emergency, we can just suit up and run out from here.”

“What kind of missions do you guys do?” Steve and Bucky exchanged nervous glances. “Just like general stuff? I know you can’t really discuss any super secret things.”

Steve answered: “Sometimes we do reconnaissance, gather information on potentially dangerous groups, or check on the progress of humanitarian aid.”

“I was out a few weeks ago to help escort some aid workers through a pretty dangerous place.” Bucky shook his head. “I don’t get it. They’re killing each other and harming people who are just trying to live their lives. And the aid workers are risking theirs to try to help people stuck in the middle of all this.” His grip on his fork tightened, and I reached out, laying my hand over his.

“I’m sorry, Buck. I didn’t mean to upset you.” After a moment, he relaxed and placed the fork beside his plate. “Hey, you’re doing some amazing things. Look, you protected those aid workers. And you helped get supplies to those people in need. Yeah, it’s terrible that people are fighting, but you made a difference to those people who need help. And you gave them hope, which is stronger than any weapon.” The room fell silent, Steve watching us intently before Bucky took a deep breath and opened his eyes. I was so scared that I’d said something stupid and upset him more, but when he wrapped his metal hand around mine, I felt better. It was a touchy topic for him, and judging by the way Steve now sat rigid in his seat, it was the same for him too. I made a mental note to keep the work talk to a minimum. I wanted desperately to ask if he was okay, to wrap my arms around him and make him feel better, but the way he held my hand made me pause. 

“Buck?” Steve asked, his voice quiet as he appraised his friend.

“I’m okay,” Bucky replied. “Sorry-”

“Please don’t apologize,” I interjected, wrapping both my hands around his. “I didn’t think.” 

“It’s alright, Sarah,” Bucky offered a small smile before returning to his dinner. I kept one hand on his, which he seemed okay with, and resumed eating, glancing over at Steve for approval. We ate in silence for a few minutes until Bucky spoke up. “Did he tell you what he did today?” I paused, anxious for his next words, but Steve sighed across the table, and Bucky laughed. 

“No?”

“Come on, Buck-” Steve wined playfully.

“Got into a fight with a self-checkout at the grocery store.” Bucky answered. It took me a second to process his words, but when I glanced over at Steve, I couldn’t hold back the my laughter. It wasn’t the story, or how he’d made a fool of himself against a machine. It was the way he blushed and how Bucky seemed to laugh a bit more genuinely as the night went on. 

“There was nothing in the bagging area!” Steve sighed, exasperated. “I don’t think I can go back to that store ever again.” 

“So what did you do?” I asked, watching as Steve glared over at Bucky. 

“Well this one just stood there and laughed,” he shook his head. “But I kept having to ask the girl to come over and swipe her card thing.”

“Ask him how many times this happened,” Bucky offered, leaning closer to me. I looked over at Steve who hid his face in his hands, but when he didn’t answer, Bucky did. “Three. He had to ask her to fix it three times.”

“I hate technology!”

“Steve,” I said, trying to hold back my laughter. “Those things hate everyone. If it makes you feel better, I’ve actually shouted at one of them… and there actually was something in the bagging area I’d forgotten about.” Bucky’s eyes widened at my confession and offered a genuine stomach laugh, leaning back in his chair. Steve met my gaze, and I couldn’t help but smile at each of them. 

The rest of dinner was filled with good conversation, them asking about my college days, which were nothing really to talk about, and my asking them about life before everything. They fought me when I moved to wash the dishes, but gave in when I refused to relent. It wasn’t long before we’d finished and settled onto the couch, our arms and hands intertwined with each other. Steve pulled my legs onto his lap as Bucky settled me against his chest. It felt so natural as I relaxed against him and drew lazy patterns onto the back of Steve’s hand. Bucky did the same, his fingers drawing across my arm, enticing a yawn from deep within me. It was almost 8:30 by then, and I was so torn between dozing off right where I was and doing the responsible thing- going back to my apartment to shower and sleep. Steve seemed to notice my internal battle, because he picked my hand up and pressed it to his lips.

“Come on, you look exhausted.” 

“I’m fine,” I argued, but another giant yawn gave me away. 

“Come on, doll,” Bucky’s voice rumbled in my ear and I sighed. 

“Alright.” Slowly, I stood, stretching until I heard a few cracks and pops. Bucky and Steve walked me to the door where I turned, ready to say good night, but Steve paused.

“I’m walking you back.”

“I think I can make it,” I replied, but he insisted. Maybe it was his old fashioned way, but I couldn’t help but like it, even just a little. Bucky gave me a tight hug and pressed his lips to mine, gently and just for a moment. It was quick, but it made my stomach quiver nervously and I smiled up at him. “Thanks so much for dinner. I mean it, you guys are the best.”

“It’s our pleasure, doll,” Bucky replied with a tired smile. Steve took my hand and lead me down the hallway and into the elevator. I leaned against the back railing, watching the number above the door descend. I could see it in his body language that he wanted to say something, but when he stayed silent, I took the first step.

“I screwed that up. I’m sorry.” Steve turned to face me, his face a mixture of guilt and sadness. 

“No, you didn’t do anything wrong.” The elevator doors opened and we walked quietly toward my room. I lead him inside and he sat beside me on the couch. 

“I didn’t mean to upset you guys.”

“Sarah, you didn’t know. You wouldn’t have known.” Steve replied. “Me and Buck, we’ve been through a lot together. He’s doing better than he was before, but both of us still have our moments.” He paused for a moment, weighing his next words. “PTSS is… tough. At first, both me and him knew how obvious it was that we were so shaken up. We’ve both had a lot of help, both from our friends and with each other. It’s just… it’s not something that’s easy to see, especially now that we’ve gotten a bit better at coping.”

“It’s an invisible illness,” I nodded. “I know.” 

“That’s what everyone is calling it.” Steve nodded. “There are good days, and there are not so good days, and Buck’s been having more good than not so good lately.”

“Is this… are we going to make things worse?”

“Not at all. If anything, it’ll help. If this were a few years back, then maybe things wouldn’t be so good. But he’s gotten better. And having someone who can be sympathetic to that helps, especially since that someone’s sympathy is genuine. He really likes you. I really like you. I just wanted you to know that sometimes, things get hard.”

“Steve… I’m not going anywhere. You guys mean so much to me. I never thought I’d say that to someone, especially two someones so quickly, but there’s something about you guys that just clicks with me. You guys feel like home to me. So if there’s ever anything I can do, tell me.” 

Steve smiled down at me and pressed a gentle kiss against my lips, just as Bucky did. “Sarah, we’re both sweet on you. And I appreciate what you said, and how you handled everything at dinner. We’re here too. And we’ve got you, just as you’ve got us. Okay?”

“Yeah.” Steve gave me one last kiss before heading out, leaving me to fall asleep before I could process anything else. But one thing passed through my mind before I drifted off: I was caught up with them, and I had a feeling my crush was just the beginning.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for stopping by for chapter 6!! I hope you enjoy!

The first month went fairly quickly. Between getting back into the swing of working in a lab, learning Bruce’s quirks, and taking in the overwhelming amount of new information I was learning, I was exhausted. I caught lunch with Bruce sometimes, but he seemed to meet with Renee quite frequently. After running into Bucky in the cafeteria, either him or Steve would just happen to be there, even though they had a fully functional kitchen in their apartments. I didn’t mind though; hanging out with them helped me get to know a few others, and I was really feeling at home. 

I’d spoken with Nat a few times, but Wanda seemed to be a bit more open and friendly. Nat usually hung to the side while giving witty commentary; she knew how to make everyone laugh and everyone blush too. Wanda greeted me with a big hug when we met, offering to show me around the nearby shops and to visit her apartment any time. We chatted for a bit and she laughed when I showed her the picture of Bucky, Steve, and me with the Captain America impersonator. It was quickly passed around and soon it became everyone’s favorite story. 

By Thursday, I was so tired, that by the time I made it to my room, all I wanted to do was sleep, but I was that weird kind of tired where no matter how long I shut my eyes, I couldn’t sleep. My phone ping’d a few times and I sat up, yawning as I opened the chat.

Steve: hey sweetheart, are you coming up tonight?

Bucky: I found some movies at Tony’s we can watch

I sighed, running my hands through my hair (which really needed to be washed). I wanted to see them, but I knew that the second I sat on that couch, I’d pass out. Not to mention I’d gotten a bit grumpy at the end of the day; we’d spent the afternoon solving a few problems, and mine didn’t seem to want to work out. 

Me: sorry guys long day at the lab I’m beat

Bucky: you’re no fun :P 

Steve: can we do anything for you?

Me: nah, I’m kinda grumpy rn think I’ll stay in

Bucky: okay, well call us if you need anything doll

I smiled down at my phone before forcing myself out of bed to take a shower. I knew that if I took a quick nap, I’d never get up. As I climbed beneath the warm water, I shut my eyes, wondering what was going on at home. Home, I’d had such a hard time calling it that, but as much as we disagreed, they were still my family. I only spoke to my parents during the holidays when I’d call for the obligatory ‘Merry Christmas’ conversation. Otherwise, my brother kept me updated, mostly through text. Although he moved out of the house, he still stayed local, working at the town’s small school district doing custodial work while coaching baseball. 

He didn’t agree with everything they believed in, but he’d fallen in love with his high school sweetheart, and she was adamant that they stay close to the family, citing that it was a great place to bring up children. He didn’t have the heart to disagree, so they moved out (after the wedding, of course). Last I spoke to him, they were still trying for their first kid. I still had one unread text from him on my phone; I’d been avoiding it since I moved into Stark Tower. I’m sure he knew. 

But it wasn’t just his text message I was avoiding. The red notification of a voicemail reminded me that I needed to make a decision. I’d looked into it before, but I’d never been to therapy. My doctor, who prescribed the anti-anxiety meds I was on had suggested it when he heard I was moving to New York for this job. I was way out of my comfort zone, he’d said, and he couldn’t have been more right. I knew Stark had a whole medical ward that employees could use, but I didn’t want anyone to know about this or my meds. They’d think differently of me and I didn’t want that. I didn’t want to look weak or incompetent. No, I’d do this by myself, but finding a way to hide it from Steve and Bucky would be tricky. The decision was made; I’d call tomorrow.

By the time I finished my shower, I put on my pyjamas and cleaned up a bit, tossing my laundry into the basket and straightening out the mess of papers on my desk from earlier today. Bring the work back, I’d thought, you’ll definitely think better later! Maybe I was shooting too high at this point. Once my desk was straightened up, I turned on the tv and climbed into bed. Before I knew it, I had fallen into a deep sleep.

***

What was that annoying noise? Slowly, I turned over, burying my face into my pillow until consciousness fully hit me; my alarm was going off. When I glanced up at the clock, I realized that I’d overslept, being in such a deep sleep that my alarm didn’t wake me until now. I had enough time, thankfully, and got dressed and ready fairly quickly. Before heading out, I grabbed a protein bar from my stash and headed up to the lab. 

“Happy Friday,” Bruce greeted as I made my way into his office. 

“Happy Friday,” I replied, holding back a yawn.

“Late night?”

“No,” I shrugged. “I’m just a lot more tired than usual. I didn’t do so much high level work in my previous classes, so I guess I’m getting a bit fried quicker than usual.”

“Yeah, that’ll happen sometimes. Did you take those home yesterday?” he asked, nodding toward the notes in my hands.

“They came back with me, but they didn’t get looked at. Sorry.” 

“Don’t apologize. Sometimes the answers elude us. What do you say we get started?”

Bruce and I worked together on the some of the tougher work, explaining a few new concepts to me as I took vigorous notes. After, he helped me through the problems I couldn’t solve the day before, naturally taking a pedantic stance in front of the white board. Once I’d had my ‘ah-ha’ moment, we moved on to the work left over. If I felt intimidated by the work at this point, how was I going to make it through my dissertation?

As usual, Bruce took his lunch with Renee and I made my way down to the cafeteria, seeking out a cup of coffee. Just as I placed the ceramic mug beneath the karaffe, it was snatched away by a random hand. “Hey!” I practically growled, turning to find Bucky behind me, holding the mug above me with a smirk on his face. 

“Hey back,” he winked.

“Buck, come on, I need my coffee.”

“Kiss first?” 

“Fine,” I sighed, and pecked him on the cheek. “Now coffee.” He handed the mug back to me and, once I had filled it, followed me to a quiet table in the corner. 

 

*** 

I’d left lunch a few minutes early on the guise of wanting to get some extra stuff done before Bruce returned. He hadn’t gotten back yet from his daily lunch appointment with Renee, so I closed the lab door and made the phone call. Ten minutes later, my first appointment was set for next Wednesday.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thanks for sticking with me through chapter 7! I've got some plans for the upcoming chapters that I think will make things interesting :) Sorry for the delay!

“Well if there’s one thing I can tell you, it’s that Steve has blue eyes.” I sighed, rolling back in my chair. Renee nodded, peeking over my shoulder to examine the screen where a digital projection of Steve’s very frustrating DNA floated. She’d been hanging around the lab a bit more in the past few weeks, at least when Bruce was around, though I wasn’t too sure why. I’d heard them talking about some other project they were working on in her lab, but didn’t pay that much attention. 

“I had a problem like that when I was decoding my DNA,” Bruce replied. “It rearranged a few things, but for the most part I just became a bit more radioactive. What are you seeing on this?”

“So as weird as it sounds, his DNA was altered all the way down to the chromosome. I need to reevaluate almost each one to determine where the alterations were made.” Renee returned to her position beside Bruce whose eyebrows had scrunched together to the point where they were almost touching. 

“Are you able to identify a few of the alterations?” Renee asked and I nodded. “I’ve been thinking about this problem for a while. I remember Bruce mentioning that his DNA was manipulated a bit, and I started playing with this old program I’d made a while back.” I glanced at Bruce who nodded for her to continue. “Basically, if we can identify one commonality of each change, I can make the program decode and search through each chromosome for the triggers that I input.”

“Sarah,” Bruce asked, turning to me. “How many changes have you identified?”

“One,” I replied. “I was only able to isolate the area where the metabolism is increased. It’s a bit general but it had significant differences than the others.”

“How long do you think it’ll take you to identify another two or three?” Renee asked. 

“Not sure,” I shrugged. “But I’ll do as much as I can.”

And that’s exactly how I spent the two months following that meeting: spending hours analyzing each individual chromosome for anomalies. Bruce came in with me a lot during the first few weeks, but when he saw that I didn’t need help, nor did I appreciate someone standing over my shoulder, he left me to my own devices. It was tedious work, but I tried to think of it as practice; after all, I’d be using some of these isolated traits in my work later on. 

For the first time in a week, I made my way down to the cafeteria to grab some lunch and a refill on coffee when I ran into Wanda. She greeted me with a hug and I followed her to a table where she sat with Sam who glanced up from the file he was reading through to greet us. 

“Put the file away,” Wanda scolded as we joined him at the table. 

“Hey, girly,” he greeted, closing the manila folder to pull his lunch closer. “Finally out of your lab?”

“Yeah,” I chuckled. “I had to walk away for a bit. What are you up to?”

“Just looking over some notes on a few of the new trainees.” He replied. “Your boys and I have been testing out some new recruits. We’re hoping to start a few new special teams we can send out instead of taking every mission ourselves.”

“How are they looking so far?” Wanda asked, stirring her soup. 

“Alright,” he shrugged. “They’ve got some improvement, but that’s what training is for. I think we have a mutant on our hands though. Might need your help in figuring it out.” Wanda nodded. 

“Have you guys been getting more mutant recruits lately?” I asked and Wanda nodded. 

“People like me are being accepted a bit easier as of late, although there are still people who don’t trust us as easily.” She replied. “After everything that happened in Lagos and the Civil War, as the media called it, we’ve been trying to do everything we can to show that enhanced people aren’t all bad.”

“That’s great,” I nodded. “I did a study on altered genetics of enhanced individuals. We got one DNA sample, but most of our work was done through previously published studies. Honestly, I loved studying it; some of the most subtle changes in a person’s genetic makeup can make such an impact in their powers, or lack thereof. And no two are the same, at least that I’ve come across.”

“I believe Bruce likened it to a different eye color, or skin tone once,” Wanda nodded.

“That’s pretty much it.” I replied. “If you look at the differences between an enhanced person’s DNA and a person without enhancements, the differences look almost the same as if you were looking at a person with blue eyes next to a person with brown eyes.”

“It’s not really all that different than skin color,” Sam nodded. “Except instead of being black or white, you’re psychic or telekinetic.” 

“Definitely true,” Wanda smiled, shifting Sam’s drink away just as he reached for it. 

“And you wonder why I don’t trust you,” he chuckled, nodding a thanks when she sent it back into his hand. 

Lunch with Wanda and Sam was exactly what I needed to power through the post-lunch hours where I’d normally be stuck in a haze. It felt like I forgot what it was like to actually hang out with someone instead of working with them. I finished another section of one chromosome that afternoon and, although I didn’t find any anomalies there, it felt good to have gotten through them. There was a knock at the lab door and I stretched, rolling out from beneath the microscope to see who it was. 

“Renee?” I asked, opening the door so she could walk in. “I thought you had a key?”

“I do,” she replied, heading toward one of the side tables Bruce had been working at earlier. “I just left it here earlier I think.” Dropping her tote bag on the table, she began sifting through the desk, lifting notes and moving yellow pads until her bag fell with a thunk to the floor, taking a few of the desk’s papers with it. I shut the door and knelt down, helping to sort through the scattered papers, but she’d already collected them, tucking them back into her tote before holding up the small, white card in success. “Oh, thank God! I’m pretty sure IT would kill me if I asked them to make me another one.” 

“I’m glad you found it,” I replied, stifling a yawn as she swept out of the room, letting the door shut behind her. I returned to my stool and rolled back to the microscope as the door opened once more. Without looking, I called: “What else did you forget?”

“Pretty sure you forgot what time it was, doll.” I glanced up to see Bucky in the doorway, his crooked smile a welcome view. 

“Sorry,” I laughed, meeting him in the middle for a kiss, “Renee was just in here. Forgot her key card. What time is it?”

“It’s almost 8,” he replied. “We’ve been calling you, but you haven’t answered your phone.” 

“Crap,” I sighed, turning around to search the room for the device. “I’m sorry, Buck. I was on a roll and I got carried away.” 

“Again,” he replied, tapping me on the shoulder to hand my phone over. “You’ve spent more time in here than you have outside lately. Hell, I’ve barely seen you between work and your “me-time” Thursdays.”

“I’m sorry, babe.” I replied. “It’s just… once I get a few more things done, Renee can run her program and I’ll be able to relax for a bit. And I want to get this done; I want to impress Tony and Bruce and not just because it’s for school, but because I know that if I do impress them, then maybe there’s a chance I can work here and do some good with what I’m learning.”

“Tony and Bruce are already impressed with you,” Bucky smiled, his hands resting on my arms. “And I have no doubts that Tony is already considering you as an applicant. Now, can you close up and come home?” He paused, blushing a bit when he realized what he’d said. 

“Sure,” nodded. “Give me five minutes. I just need to put this sample back in storage and shut down.” Bucky grinned and took my spot on the stool, watching as I closed up. 

“You know,” I began, smiling up at him, “Me-Time Thursdays are pretty fun.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! to everyone sticking with me through my (incredibly slow) updates, thanks!

“He keeps texting me,” I sighed, playing with the cuff of my hoodie. “He wants me to come home for his son’s christening.” I looked up at David who sat in his usual chair, nod silently for me to continue. “I want to go- for him. I want to see my family, but there’s just so much crap and I don’t want to sit through a week of passive aggressive comments about how I’m trying to ‘play God.’ I used to try to justify it and explain it, but he never listened.”

David pushed his thick rimmed glasses up his nose and asked: “Your father?” I nodded. “I know you mentioned that your mother supported you throughout a lot of this.”

“Yeah,” I replied. “She helped me with the little things; science fairs, studying, and she was one of the few in the church who didn’t ostracize me when my whole high school relationship crashed and burned. My brother was pretty supportive, but he was wrapped up in his own stuff. Besides, it wasn’t something that we could talk about a lot.”

“Have you texted him back yet?” He asked and I shook my head. “Why not?”

“Because I don’t want to open a whole can of crap.” My sleeve was starting to stretch out and I dropped it. “I don’t want to accidentally mention being with Steve and Bucky, or even having a boyfriend in general because I know it’ll somehow get to the rest of my family and then they’d want to meet them.”

“And what’s wrong with that?”

“Well for one, I’m dating two guys who also love each other.” I laughed. “So that’s polygyny (because only men can have more than one wife), and they’re bisexual, which to everyone else just translates to gay and therefore ‘evil.’” He nodded, chuckling as well. “See?”

“I do,” he replied. “And I also see that it’s almost time for me to kick you out. So what do you want to do in this situation? Start with the first thing. It could even be the smallest.”

“I’ll talk to my brother.” I sighed. “I want to talk to him and hear about everything and I want to tell him about everything I’m doing because it’s so cool!”

“So start small. Ask about his life so far. Ask him about the christening.” He replied and I nodded. 

The walk back to the tower was quiet; the office wasn’t too far, maybe 20 minutes if I was taking my time. David had told me when we first started that it was normal to be tired after sessions, but the walk back to the tower was refreshing and helped me sift through what we’d talked about. Did I want to talk to my brother? Of course! But I didn’t want to get involved with the rest of my family, especially if my dad was going to start again. 

By the time I returned to the tower, the main entrance was shut for the night, so I headed back toward the resident entrance; not everyone could fly right into their penthouse. Swiping my card, I waited for the heavy door to click and stepped inside, running straight into someone. I staggered backwards, laughing to myself as I looked up and apologized. 

“Oh- hey babe!” I smiled, stepping to the side so he could come out. 

“Hey,” he smiled down at me and pressed a kiss to my lips. “What are you up to?”

“I just took a walk. It’s really nice out. Where are you off to?”

“Grocery store,” he replied. “They want to make smores upstairs, so I was voted to make the run.”

“Smores?” He nodded. 

“Want to come? It’s a short walk.” Agreeing, I took his hand and let him lead the way. “So where did you walk to?”

“Hm? Oh I just wandered a bit.” He hummed in response. “It’s really nice out. I’m not looking forward to winter though.”

“Me neither.” Bucky replied. “I hate the cold.”

“But you’re always so warm.”

“Yeah,” shrugging, he guided me across the street. “It’s from the cryo days. If I wasn’t frozen, I was out in all sorts of weather. Russia isn’t always warm. Guess I just adjusted over time.”

“I’m sorry,” I squeezed his hand, earning a warm, lopsided smile. 

“Don’t be. Besides, you’ve always got cold hands. I think that’s a good arrangement.” We stopped in front of the grocery store, but before we could enter, I pulled him back toward me. 

“If I ask about something and… if something I say makes you uncomfortable, or you don’t want to talk about it-”

“I’ll tell you. Promise.” His lips brushed against mine, but before he could turn into the shop, I pulled him back. “You don’t need to walk on eggshells around me.”

“Alright,” I replied. “But if you don’t keep your promise to tell me, I’m going to be really mad.” He chuckled and I smiled, enjoying the sound. 

“Can we go in now? I wouldn’t be surprised if they started texting me already.” I followed him in, watching as he casually walked the aisles, basket in hand, gathering the ingredients he needed. A few strands of his long hair had loosened themselves from the bun just above his neck and framed his features, softening them beneath the flourescent light of the grocery store. I’d seen him on his way to training and coming and going from the gym. Even in the apartment, he still seemed like an Avenger. But there, in the grocery store, he looked normal, if that was a way to put it, in his jeans and long sleeved tee, his eyes scanning the candy aisle in search of something extra. 

“It’s rude to stare.” I looked up, meeting his eyes and wished I wasn’t turning as red as I felt, but his cheeky grin only made it worse. “See something you like?”

“Actually,” I said, reaching across to grab an Almond Joy, “I do.” 

“Come on, doll,” he chuckled, and we made our way through the checkout. The walk back to the tower was quiet, but comfortable, the silence mutual. As he slid his ID card to open the door, he paused. “Your me-time days...” he began nervously, but I cut him off. 

“I take them because I need time to decompress from the week. It has nothing to do with not wanting to be around anyone. I like being by myself sometimes, and I like taking walks by myself too. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like spending time with you or Steve or anyone else.” 

“They’re always at the same time, every week.” He said it like a question, but I knew he was curious, though he wouldn’t push. 

I shrugged. “I’m a scientist. I like my schedules. Now, I want some smores.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok guys! Prepare yourself for some fluff!!! And as always, thanks for tuning in :)

The boutique was a pleasant reprieve from the busy Manhattan streets that Wanda had led me through earlier. I’d received my first paycheck from Stark and wanted to find something cute to wear for mine and Steve’s date. 

“Dinner and maybe dancing?” He’d asked and I paused. Steve didn’t seem like the club type of guy, but I agreed. When I went to Wanda for help, she smiled and laughed a bit. 

“Trust me, Sarah,” she said, smoothing out her red dress, “he’s not taking you to a modern club. You’ll be dancing, but not at a bar.” 

“So where are we going?” I replied.

“I’m not going to tell you that!” Then, she paused. “Do you have any dresses?”

We wandered through the boutique, the third one so far, picking out a few dresses and found the dressing rooms. The first two didn’t fit- apparently the store didn’t sell clothing over a certain size, but that was fine; the dresses weren’t my favorite. The third, however, fit perfectly. Wanda zipped me up and I stepped out to look in the full length mirror. 

“I like this one,” I smiled, smoothing out the A-line skirt. It reached down to just above my knees, the skirt hugging the curves of my waist. The top was accentuated by a sweetheart neckline, cinched in the middle, and short sleeves. “You don’t think the color is too boring?” The solid dark blue was accentuated with white finishes across the bodice, waistline, and hems. 

“Not at all.” She shook her head and the store clerk agreed. “Do you have shoes?”

“Flats,” I replied. 

“Then you’re set?” I nodded, smiling at my reflection. How long had it been since I’d dressed up? 

Later that afternoon, I sat with my mirror at my desk, carefully applying a thin line of eyeliner across the tops of my eyes. Thankfully, I’d brought a bit of makeup with me. Pinning my hair half back, I slid my flats on just as there was a knock at my door. I opened it, stepping back to let Steve in, who held a bouquet of colorful daisies in his hand. 

“Hey,” I smiled, feeling a blush spread up my cheeks as he took in my appearance. 

“Hey,” he replied, finally leaning in for a kiss. “You look beautiful.” 

“Thanks!” 

“These are for you,” he held the flowers out, watching with a smile as I smelled them. 

“They’re so pretty! Thank you, Steve!” I grabbed the now empty vase and filled it with water, depositing my new flowers back into the windowsill. “So dinner and dancing?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I uh… thought you’d like that?”

“I didn’t peg you as the club type of guy.” I said, collecting my phone and purse. 

“Don’t worry, we’re not going to a club. It’s… well it’s nice. How’s that?”

“It sounds nice,” I smiled. “Ready?”

“Yes ma’am.” I couldn’t help but giggle at his response. I locked up and followed him to the elevator. 

As we approached the doors, he offered his arm and I accepted. It was so much different than holding hands; it felt so much more intimate, but gave me enough room to walk comfortably beside him. The city streets were busy as usual, but he steered us through the crowds easily. 

After a little while we arrived at a small restaurant. The host immediately recognized Steve, shaking his hand with a big smile. Something told me, however, that he wasn’t recognized for his superhero status, but as a regular. As we followed him into the restaurant, I immediately understood- tables surrounded an open dance floor in a horseshoe shape with a small stage completing the circle. On the stage, a band played an old swing song. A few couples populated the dance floor, moving perfectly in sync with each other. 

Ever the gentleman, Steve pulled out my chair and tucked me in, taking a seat opposite me. “What do you think?”

“Wow!” I turned toward him, feeling my cheeks strain with a huge smile. “I’m glad Wanda took me shopping.” 

“You look beautiful,” Steve replied. “And I’m glad you like it.”

“How did you find this place?”

“Actually,” he smiled, rubbing the back of his neck, “I knew his father when he owned it. Back before the war.”

“Seriously?” He nodded.

“His dad helped me out a few times,” he began, but paused when the waiter came by to take our drink orders. When he left, we glanced down at the menu.

“What do you recommend?” I asked, eyeing the lemon chicken.

“I usually go for the pasta with meat sauce,” he replied, “but their food is great. What are you thinking?”

“That lemon chicken looks good,” I smiled. “I’ve been dying for some lately.” When the waiter returned, we placed our food orders.

On the stage, the band switched to a slower song, and Steve looked up at me, smiling bashfully. Slowly, he came to my side of the table and held out his hand. “Would you like to dance?”

I could feel the blush spreading up my neck as I nodded and took his hand following him to the dance floor where he took my hand in his, the other resting just above my waist. We were an awkward distance away from each other, and I stepped toward him, hoping I wasn’t invading him too much, but he only smiled down at me to pull me almost flush against him. “I don’t dance much,” I began, chuckling. “I’ve actually never danced like this before.”

“I’ve got you,” he replied, a warm smile tugging at his lips. “Just let me take the lead and you’ll be fine.”

“I think I can do that.” We danced in content quiet, enjoying the music as he swayed us gently side to side. After a little while, he shifted his weight, guiding me around, but not without my feet getting tangled a few times. 

“Here, step like this.” Slowly, at first, he guided my steps until I got the simple ones down, and he pulled me back against him, guiding me a bit more smoothly this time. This was dancing. This was intimate, romantic, but not too pushy. Sure, we were nearly pressed against each other, but our movements were in sync, and being so close to him allowed a whole new version of intimacy I’d never experienced before. The music was loud enough to carry through the restaurant, but not so loud that we had to shout. Instead, the closeness was good, as he could tilt his head just a bit and speak to me with ease. When the song ended, we separated just a bit to applaud the band. “What do you say, want to try another?”

“Sure,” I replied, and he brought me back to him as the band began a more upbeat song. 

“Follow my lead and step like this,” he said, demonstrating. After a few tries, I got the basic steps down and he guided me across the floor, pushing me out to spin, then pulling me back against him. I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped me; this was definitely a new experience. The song finished with minimal foot injury, and he lead me back to the table where our food was waiting. 

“Steve, thank you so much! I’ve never done anything like this before!” Across the table, a light blush spread across his cheeks. 

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” he replied. “I was worried you wouldn’t at first.” 

“Why? Steve if this is something that you love to do, then I want to learn as much as I can about it. Besides, why did people stop dancing like this?”

“Thanks. That really means a lot,” he replied. “And I agree. I’m still trying to figure out why people don’t like this!”

Like Steve promised, the food was amazing. I made sure to get a box to take the rest back, especially since I knew I wanted to dance some more. When we’d finished, Steve asked for another dance and I was happy oblige. It was another upbeat one, but he kept his movements simple, spinning me every so often and laughing as as I laughed. 

When another slow song began, we moved closer, and I laid my head on his chest, smiling contently. We swayed side to side, his cheek resting gently on my head. We were wrapped up in each other, the restaurant just background noise. When he pressed a kiss to my head, I looked up and he pressed his lips against mine. In that moment, I realized two things: one, I was definitely falling hard for Steve, and two, modern dating had officially been ruined for me. 

“What are you thinking about?” He asked, searching my face. 

“You never finished your story,” I replied. “You were telling me how you knew the owner?” 

“Oh yeah,” he said, glancing behind me for a moment to take in the room. “Yeah, I knew his dad. He gave me a job a few times to help with the rent. My ma and I weren’t very well off and I was working some odd jobs to help out. I used to bus, or sweep up at night. I’d check in with him a few times a week and he’d always find something for me to do.” He chuckled to himself, remembering something. “Buck and I used to come here all the time. He used to tear this place up; there was always a line of girls waiting to dance with him. Sarah, if you want to really learn how to dance, you’ll ask Buck.”

“Really?” I asked and he nodded. “He never seemed like the dancing type to me.” Steve shook his head. 

“He wasn’t for a while, especially after… everything. But one night, I was cleaning up at home and playing some music when he grabbed me and we just danced. Even after the music was over, we stayed together. It wasn’t like the old days when he’d taught me a few steps in my apartment. It was different, like Bucky had really come back to me.”

“You love him so much.” Steve nodded, trying to hide the bashful smile on his face. “Why are you embarrassed?”

 

“We’re on a date and I’m talking about Buck,” he shrugged. “Feels wrong.”

“I like hearing the stories you guys have,” I replied. “And you… I don’t know.”

“What is it?”

“You just get this look on your face when you talk about him,” I shrugged, staring at his chest. “I don’t know. It’s just… I can tell how much you love him, and how much he means to you. And I think it’s really amazing to love someone as much as you love him. So I don’t mind you talking about him; he’s part of this whole ‘us’ thing.”

He tipped my chin up, bringing my gaze to him and kissed me, longer this time, his lips moving against mine in a way that he hadn’t before. When he finally pulled away, he looked down at me and sighed. “You’re really special, Sarah.” After a pause, he added: “Did I tell you how beautiful you look?”

“Only about a dozen times,” I chuckled. “But I’m not complaining.”

We finished two more upbeat dances before heading out, Steve shaking the owner’s hand again. On the street, he took my arm once more and guided me through the city. Even though we weren’t in one of the busier areas, as Steve assured me, I was still amazed at the sheer volume of people and the noise and lights of the city. I’d seen it on TV, but experiencing it was completely different. 

“What kind of ice cream do you like?” He asked, glancing down at me. 

“Cookies and cream. All the way.” I replied. “You?”

“Swirl,” he replied. “Want to get some?” We crossed the street and made our way up to the window, Steve placing the order as I turned around, looking up at the ridiculously tall buildings. After a bit of walking, we found a place to sit and eat our dessert. 

It was late by the time we made it back to the tower, and my feet were aching from all the walking and dancing, but I didn’t mind. As we made our way up the elevator, Steve glanced down at his phone and sighed. 

“What’s wrong?”

“Briefing tomorrow morning,” he replied, sliding the phone back into his pocket. “I’ve got a recon mission. I’ll probably be gone for a few days.” The elevator doors opened and we made our way toward my door. 

“Is it dangerous?” I asked and he shook his head.

“Nah,” he shrugged. “I’m just going to check some things out, look around, see what I can see. Routine kind of thing. I’m just going to miss you, that’s all.”

“I’ll be here when you get back,” I replied. “Just promise me something?”

“Of course.”

“Be safe.” 

“I always am,” he replied, but I laughed. “What?”

“From what Bucky tells me, you’re not.” Steve rolled his eyes and I playfully smacked his arm. “Come on, promise me you’ll be safe.”

“I will, I promise,” he finally nodded. “I had a really nice time tonight.”

“Me too,” I replied. “I’ve never been on a date like that before. Thank you for taking me.”

“Thank you for coming out.” Gently, he pulled me toward him and pressed his lips against mine once more, one hand holding my arm, the other coming up to cup my face, his fingers running through my hair. I did the same, feeling the light stubble on his jaw against my palms. After a bit, he pulled away, but not before giving me one last kiss. “Good night, Sarah.”

“Good night,” I replied. “Be safe.”

“I will.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve is away on mission leaving Bucky and Sarah at the Tower. Enjoy some fluff and stuff :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I promise the next few chapters will be a bit more exciting!!  
> Also, special thanks to my amazing partner in crime who deals with me complaining and brainstorming about this and many other fics all the time. Love you!

Steve had been gone for two days, and I wasn’t handling it well. Bucky, however, seemed pretty calm. I knew I couldn’t ask him for details, but he’d reassured me when I was nervous and told me that Steve would be reporting with information on a daily basis and that he was okay. 

“I can practically hear you thinking,” Bucky had said over lunch. The cafeteria was pretty loud that day and I was stuck in my own head. 

“I’m a scientist,” I teased. “I’m supposed to be thinking a lot.”

“That’s the problem. Baby, I told you he was okay. I saw a report this morning and he’s fine. There’s just some more information than he’d originally anticipated so we all decided to expand the mission.”

“You’d tell me if anything happened, right?” Reaching across the table, he took my hand in his and smiled, one side of his lips tilting upward. 

“You know I would. I promise.” 

“Okay,” I nodded, but he watched me and shook his head. 

“It’s not a bad thing to be worried.” He began. “Sometimes, I can’t sleep if I’m not out there with him.”

“But you look so calm,” I countered. “And you guys have been together longer. I feel like I should be the one to comfort you!”

“We’ve been together, even if we didn’t really know it, since before the war. But that doesn’t mean that I still don’t get worried every time he leaves. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve known someone. If you’re this worried, then it shows us that you really do care.” 

“I’m sorry.” I sighed, pushing my food around my plate. “I just… this is the first serious relationship I’ve been in since college.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Bucky replied. “Listen, I can’t tell you everything, but… I can tell you a little. Just don’t mention that I said anything, okay?” I nodded and leaned in as he began quietly. “I can tell you that he’s in Europe and that he’s observing a potential human trafficking ring we caught wind of a few weeks ago. He’s found what he thinks is their base of operations, but finding their travel routes is a bit of a challenge. That’s why it’s taking him so long to come back. They keep changing their routes and it’s hard to decipher their system. I can promise you that he’s not in any danger; it’s purely observation. He has no orders to interfere.”

“What about the people?” I asked.

“Trust me. We’re tracking each shipment and we have teams out to grab them before anything can happen. That’s really all I can tell you. The logistics are boring and the location has to be kept secret.”

“Thank you for telling me.” I took his hand across the table as he sat back in his seat. “I really appreciate it. I didn’t doubt you when you said he was safe, it’s just that I tend to worry a little too much sometimes.”

“Trust me, doll. In our line of work, it’s always good to be extra worried.” 

***

It had to be a fluke; Bruce was actually joining me for lunch. When he poked his head into the lab, I’d expected him to check on my progress. Instead, he suggested I take a break and visit the cafeteria with him. It was a bit earlier than I’d gotten used to, but I knew Wanda and Sam would be there soon to join. As Bruce and I took a spot by the window, I glanced around, searching for my usual lunch-mates. 

“Where’s Renee?” I asked and he shrugged.

“She’s got a department meeting today. Something about a new piece of equipment they got in. Even though we work for Stark, we still have to go with the regular OSHA standards.” I nodded, glancing over to the entrance where Sam and Wanda were searching. I waved them over with a smile. 

“What are you guys working on? Other than her help with the decoding, I mean.” 

“Basically, she’s helping me engineer some flexible armour and clothes for me. I’ve destroyed more clothes and shoes than I’d like to. Besides, I want something that I can wear even when I’m not the Hulk, just in case.” We greeted Sam and Wanda who’d finally joined us with their own food. “We’re using some of the nano-bots that Tony made and integrating them with hyper flexible fabric.”

“So Hulk gets a super-suit?” Sam asked and Bruce nodded. “Tony and I were talking about implementing them in my wings in case they’re broken. Those things are awesome.”

It was nice having Bruce back for lunch; I enjoyed Renee’s company, but watching him with the others was more fun. Wanda and Sam caught us up on the new recruits, sharing a few mishaps they’d run into during combat training. 

“We definitely have an enhanced recruit,” Wanda added. “I’m trying to figure out who, but it’s a bit hard.”

“Do you know their power yet?” I asked and she shook her head. “How can you tell?”

“There’s a different sort of energy field around when we’re with the group; it almost feels like instinct to know they’re there. We’ve only been able to split them into smaller groups. I don’t want to force them out, but I’d like to know what skills we’re working with. Who knows, they may have something unique to add to the group.” With a sigh, she turned back to Sam.

“You haven’t noticed anything yet, have you?” Sam shook his head. 

“I don’t think it’s a strength thing. Everyone is working as hard as they can. Same for injuries; we’ve seen normal reactions to blows, even if they’re not extremely tough. I think it may be something in the psychic way.”

Wanda nodded. “I think so too. I don’t like to probe into people's’ minds or else I’d find out who it is faster, but I feel that would destroy all trust they have in us.” 

“So it’s a waiting game, then?” I asked and Wanda nodded. “What kind of training do you guys do?”

Sam shrugged. “We do physical training, so strength, dexterity, speed. We do combat too- hand to hand, basic weapons. Once we feel they’re ready, we bring in some tactical skills like analysing hostile situations, how to approach entering a building. That sort of thing.”

Wanda continued: “Once they pass us, we send them over to Steve and Bucky who determine what their ultimate duties will be, whether that be tech or ground support.”

“Oh God,” I chuckled, “I’d never make it as an agent here.”

“Oh come on,” Sam answered, nudging me in the ribs. “I’m sure you’d do great.”

“I have zero strength, zero coordination, and FRIDAY scares the crap out of me half the time. I think I’ll stay in the lab.” 

Wanda waived my concern away. “You’ve got your power up here,” she motioned to her brain. “And you’ve got us.”

“If you ever want to learn how to throw a punch, I’ll be here.” I smiled in thanks to them and watched as they continued their theorizing.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OK guys, have a bit of Steve on recon! I'm so sorry about the long wait, but as some of you know, I'm a hot mess :) Hope you enjoy! And I'm always happy to receive constructive criticism!

They’d dropped him off in a public airport where he ducked into the massive crowd of tourists and travellers, tucking his baseball cap low over his face. He’d dyed his hair a dark brown on the way and his scalp still itched a bit from the intrusive chemical, but he suppressed the urge and flagged down a cab that would take him to the old motel two towns over. He tipped the driver and hoisted his rucksack over his shoulder. The woman at the front desk smiled briefly, but it didn’t reach her eyes. The fake name and ID were enough to get him a room for cash, and within a few hours of landing, he’d set up in the old hotel room.

Steve pulled off his cap and scratched at his scalp, cringing at the new color of his hair. He’d done it before, but he didn’t enjoy it very much. At least this one would wash out in the next few days, unlike the last time he’d unknowingly bought the permanent dye. The satellite phone Stark had made was thin and sat almost weightlessly in the pocket of his old jeans. He slid it out and refreshed the connection.

**Arrived at base 0723**

The message was answered shortly after:

**Location confirmed. Daily updates required**

**10-4.**

He tossed the phone onto the bed and began to unpack the rucksack, pulling out his backup weapons and recon gear. The room he’d requested had an ample view of the factory across the street, where intel had suggested the majority of the trafficking took place. The old folding chair across the room made for a decent seat beside the window which he covered with the old blinds. There was no movement outside, so he busied himself with checking his weapons, confirming each weapon was loaded (the safety on of course), and each knife was clean and smooth.

From a nearly hidden side pocket, he pulled out the picture he’d taken just weeks before, Bucky, Sarah, and him smiling with the costumed character. He’d hated to leave so soon, but when Fury had shown him the few photos they were able to get from their source, he knew he wouldn’t stand idly by. They were mostly women and children, most of them being sold into sex work while others were sold as servants to richer families. Steve shook his head, trying to focus on his mission and pushed the images out of his mind. Bodies thin from not eating, skin pale from lack of light. After everything that had happened, from the war he’d fought in, to the invasion of New York, he wondered how people could still justify such inhumane actions.

Movement caught his eye and he grabbed the long range camera, careful not to move the blinds as he snapped photos of a lone man entering the old factory. He couldn’t get anything except a small profile of his face, but it might be helpful later on. He itched to leap out, knock down the doors, and rescue everyone inside, but as Natasha said on the plane ride over, even if he saved one hundred people, the traffickers would just find another hub to work from. Their goal was to get as much information as possible. Trade routes and faces that the UN could prosecute and hopefully dismantle these organizations. He’d give them the locations and a specialized team would rescue the victims. After all, there was too much diplomatic red tape for them to go barging into a country and hunting down the wrongdoers. Steve still didn’t like the idea of having to wait, but that was the way the world worked these days.

There wasn’t any movement for a while, and Steve’s stomach started to growl in protest. Locking up his gear, he slid one of the knives into his boot before pushing the rucksack under his bed and locking the door. The evening had grown chilly and he pulled his hoodie closer to him, observing the old town. A few shops were scattered around, some down side streets, others on the main road. A few buildings had small apartments on the second floors where music and cigarette smoke drifted out of the open windows.

He settled on a bar, nodding to the bartender as he sat at a table against the wall. A woman, probably in her sixties, approached his table, depositing a beer before him.

_“What are you eating tonight?”_ She asked in the local dialect. Steve recognized some of it, but he’d only studied the mainstream language.

_“Uh… something hot.”_ He replied.

“You are not from this town?” She changed to English, smiling at his relief.

_“_ No,” Steve shook his head as he opened the beer. _“_ My mother is. I’ve just come from seeing her.”

“Ah. Why did you leave?”

“She always said I was a traveller,” he shrugged, drawing a laugh from the woman.

“I’ll get you something hot to eat.” As she disappeared behind the bar, she shouted something in the local dialect that sounded a lot like foreigner wants stew, but he couldn’t be too sure. He didn’t have many options, but whatever was cooking in the back smelled good, even to his growling stomach. While he waited, he surveyed the bar, wondering if any of the traffickers came by. If there was anything he knew about men in business, it was that they liked to talk about it over alcohol. Not unlike Tony, he thought to himself, chuckling quietly as he sipped his beer.

It was bitter, and he knew Bucky would hate it. Part of him wished it was Bucky on this mission, especially with the language barrier, but he knew it would be too risky. He was still fairly well known, and the metal arm, though black and easier to conceal, would still be noticeable. Besides, he worried it would hit too close to home for him.

“Something hot,” the woman said, appearing beside him with a steaming bowl that smelled too good for how the place looked.

“Thanks,” he nodded and she disappeared back behind the bar, calling out a hello as two others entered. Steve blew on the hot stew in his spoon and took stock of the new people. Two males, one dark haired and stocky, the other bald and average height. At first, he thought they were just neighbors, but when the bald man began flipping through a large wad of cash, he had a feeling they were more than just neighbors. Careful not to draw attention to himself, he slid the phone out of his pocket and feigned a text, angling the camera to snap a few pictures of the two men. He’d gotten the bald man’s face, but not the dark haired man.

The group chatted in a mixture of the main language and local dialect for a few minutes, the conversation moving between the health of family members, the profits of the business, and the weather until they paused, asking the woman about Steve.

“Here to see his mother,” she shrugged. “Sounds American.” Steve took the opportunity to snap another picture as the turned around to eye him up. Steve only nodded toward them, noticing their stair and greeted them in the broken language.

“Good evening.” The duo chuckled and responded the same, apparently deeming him unthreatening. The stew was good and filling with beef, or maybe another meat, potatoes, and vegetables. He enjoyed the taste, taking in the old photographs on the walls as the men chatted at the bar. He picked up a couple of keywords, though they were spoken quietly; at least there was one benefit of the super soldier serum.

_“Large shipment… midnight… three weeks…”_

_“How soon… sell… merchandise?”_

_“Business… coming… day after.”_

_“Good.”_ With the business aside, they accepted the same stew and turned to other unimportant matters. Apparently they were soccer fans.

Steve finished his stew and approached the bar, handing the woman cash which she pocketed and thanked him in English. As he left, he felt two sets of eyes burn into his back.

Back in the hotel room, he pulled the satellite phone from his pocket and set a message.

Shipment said to arrive in three weeks. Potential buyer day after. Advise.

Steve sat back in the chair, watching the quiet building through the curtains and waited for an answer.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a quick little chapter for today! I hope you enjoy! Things are going to get interesting soon!!! Thanks again for reading!!!

It had been almost two full weeks and I’d decided that Steve had been gone for far too long. I’m sure SHIELD would disagree and find my complaints a nuisance, but Bucky seemed to be getting antsy as well. I declared this at dinner as Bucky and I cooked pancakes and eggs on his stove. We’d skipped the cafeteria that night, opting for a quiet night in away from the noise of the others in the building. Breakfast for dinner was, of course, Bucky’s idea. 

“Well, he needs to come back.” I said, flipping a pancake over. “Like, yesterday.”

“He’s found a lead. He can’t leave yet, baby.” Buck replied. “I heard from him this morning. They’re making progress. There’s a possibility that he can get more information than they originally intended. Trust me. I want him back too, but this is bigger than us.”

The pancakes cooked, we made our way over to the breakfast bar and divvied them out across our two plates. “I know. And I know it’s selfish to want you both to stay here all the time.”

“It’s not selfish. It’s normal,” he replied. “Now eat before it gets cold.”

“You mean, before you eat all the pancakes?” He grinned and stuffed an entire one in his mouth, just to spite me. My worry for Steve still sat in the back of my mind, but I knew Bucky was right, even if I didn’t like to admit it. 

We’d finished dinner and settled onto the couch, Bucky flipping through the channels until he found something he liked. It had gotten late, but I didn’t want to go. Truthfully, I didn’t want to be alone. I didn’t have the heart to tell him, but I’d had a few nightmares about Steve being gone and Bucky following that I really didn’t look forward to sleeping. The situation was out of my control, and that’s what I hated most. 

It wasn’t until I heard a deep sigh that I glanced up to find Bucky asleep, his head tilted to lay against the back of the sofa. I didn’t want to wake him, so I lay my head back onto his chest and shut my eyes. I didn’t sleep at first, just concentrated on the slow rise and fall of his chest, the comforting weight of his metal arm around my shoulders. It was grounding, and lulled me to sleep. 

***

Steve had made it through the building, his steps silent as he peered around a corner and into a small room. The lights were dim, but even though he knew what he needed was there, he hesitated. He listened closely, the super-serum helping immensely and heard shuffling down a corridor not far from where he was. He had to hide, but he couldn’t lose his target. Silently, he slipped into the dark room and tucked himself behind the open door, holding his breath as the shuffling feet passed him by. Once the noise had disappeared, he crept out from behind his hiding place and froze, facing the barrel of a gun. 

The shot pulled me from my sleep, my muscles spasming in a fight or flight instinct that forced me into consciousness, my heart racing. I’d woken Bucky and immediately felt terrible. He rubbed his eyes, reaching out to me. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

It took me a moment to realize where I was. “Nothing- just a nightmare.” 

“C’mere.” I moved back into his open arms and breathed in his scent, allowing him to ground me. “What happened?”

“Nothing, just a stupid nightmare.” I could tell he didn’t believe me, but he went with it. 

“Well I’ve got you now.” 

“Sorry I woke you up.” Slowly he pulled away and placed a kiss on my forehead. 

“It’s all good.” Then, looking up at the clock on the wall he sighed. “It’s almost three in the morning. Think you’re ready to head back to your apartment?” 

“Sure,” I replied after a moment, but I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want to be alone. He looked down at me, raising his eyebrows. 

“Wanna stay?” 

“Do you mind?” I asked and he chuckled. 

“You don’t even have to ask, baby. Come on, let’s get you some pajamas.” He led me down the hall and into his bedroom, the one room I’d never been in before. It was simple, larger than the one in my apartment, and obviously furnished to his own tastes. 

The bedcovers were a dark blue and pulled back to reveal a number of pillows at the head of the bed. A few photos were hung on the walls, similar to the living room, but these were of other people; a faded black and white photo of a group of men in army uniforms was framed on top of a nearby dresser. It was then that I noticed there were two dressers and both sides of the bed were unmade and full of pillows. Bucky turned from rummaging through his drawers and followed my gaze. 

“You live together?” I asked, but it felt more like a statement.

“Yeah. Have for a while actually.” He replied. “I thought you knew.” I took the shirt and boxers he offered. 

“I mean, I had a feeling, but Steve always called it ‘Bucky’s apartment,’ so I wasn’t too sure.” Bucky chuckled in response, pulling his own pajamas out of the dresser. 

“Yeah, I think he was a little worried you’d be weirded out.” He replied. “You know you’re welcome here any time, right?”

“I do, I just don’t want to be intruding.” I replied. 

“Sweetheart, this is a California King size bed. There’s enough room us all in there. Besides,” He made his way over, cupping my face in his palm, “my apartment is your apartment. You can come and go whenever you want.”

“Thanks, Buck,” I replied, feeling a blush creep up my neck. “This really means a lot.”

“You mean a lot to me and Steve. We may not always show it, but you do.”

When we climbed into bed, I could tell I was on Steve’s side; it smelled like his aftershave. I was cozy in Bucky’s tee shirt and spare boxers and contemplated keeping them for myself when I left in the morning. Reaching behind him, he flicked the lamp off and sent the room into darkness, but a small light near the door glowed dimly. I met Buck in the middle and smiled as he spooned behind me, his flesh arm draped over my hip beneath the blankets.

“Good night, Sarah.”

“Night Bucky.” He placed a kiss on my cheek and fell still.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve's still on recon and getting antsy. Sarah gets an impromptu dance lesson, and FRIDAY takes someone by surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who's been following along with me! I really appreciate the love, the kudos, and I adore the comments! I'm super excited to start some drama!!

**Payload has arrived. Truck entered from east. Three armed hostiles in truck. Unknown number of hostiles inside building** .

Steve sighed down at the phone, waiting for a response. He’d been stuck in the small room for over a week now, spying on their movements. The conversation he’d heard in the bar was correct, but the truck that had arrived days before was small. He counted maybe fifteen people who were shuffled from the back of the truck and into the warehouse. This time, however, the truck was larger, and he estimated at least thirty civilians this time. The only people who’d left the warehouse were the two men he’d seen in the bar.

When there was no response on the phone, he sent another message.

**Concerned for payload. Currently estimate fifty within target.**

He sat back and waited.

**Additional intel has arrived. Backup will be sent by 0800 tomorrow. Stand by for further instruction**.

Had he not seen the victims walking into the warehouse, he’d feel a bit relieved that he was actually going to do something. His palms itched and he fidgeted in the old chair, fighting the urge to rush in. That couldn’t happen, he told himself over and over again. These people would be rescued shortly after they were sent out on the next transport. It was important to keep the people running this in the dark. But he hated every second he sat, eating the warm stew he’d come to enjoy at the bar, and sleeping under the blanket in the small bed. He kept the picture close to him, perching it against the blinds while he was on watch, and tucked in the inside pocket of his jacket when he wasn’t.

The phone vibrated in his pocket.

**Intel confirms Ringleader will be on site in one week. Continue observation. Wait for backup. Do not engage.**

**Understood**

His patience was growing thin, but a sense of relief poured through him; at least they’d be able to stop them soon.

***

Bucky laughed as I playfully slapped his arm, cringing as it hit the metal. I’d hit the wrong arm. Again. “You keep doing that. I don’t know what you think is going to change; it’s still vibranium.”

“Shut up!” I tried not to laugh as I rubbed my hand on my leg. “Where’s Steve? Someone needs to take you down a peg!”

“He’s tried doll. Hasn’t worked and never will.” With that, he threw me a wink and leaned back on the couch, absentmindedly twirling the butterfly knife he’d produced from somewhere in his hands.

“Whatever. I’ll find a way.” He couldn’t take my pathetic threat seriously and chuckled to himself. “So Steve told me something when we went out…”

“Yeah?” I tried (and failed) to push the blush out of my cheeks.

“He said that if I _really_ wanted to learn how to dance, I should ask you.” He paused, considering me for a moment before replying.

“That so?” I nodded. “Should’a seen him back then. Two left feet. How’d he do?”

“He did really well,” I replied. “We danced for almost half the night. My feet were killing me. And no-” I laughed, cutting him off, “he didn’t step on my toes once.”

“Glad to hear your feet came home injury free.” He smiled his usual charming grin, but it didn’t reach his eyes, not all the way.

“What’s wrong?” He shrugged in reply and began cleaning his nails with the knife. “Come on, what’s wrong?”

“It’s stupid.”

“I doubt it.” He fixed me with his assassin's glare, but it cracked when I stuck my tongue out at him. “Is this about the date with Steve?” He only shrugged, so I climbed onto the couch and curled into his side, propping my chin on his shoulder. “Did you know he talked about you so much? Told me about how you taught him how to dance back before the war. How you’d have a line of girls waiting to dance.”

“Some poor soul would end up dancing with him, but when we’d get back home, he’d stand on my feet and I’d dance for us.” With deft fingers, he closed the knife and slid it back into his pocket. “So I’m guessing you want me to teach you how to dance then? Since you’re being so subtle about it.” Mimicking him, I merely shrugged, but he chuckled and pulled me up so we were pressed together, his hand on my lower back, the other holding one of mine. “Your hand goes on my shoulder, doll.” I didn’t realize I’d grasped his shirt and felt my face grow hot as I adjusted myself.

“Now,” he continued, smirking at my blush, “we’re close together so you can feel where I’m leading you.” With that, he stepped, the pressure of his hip guiding me to follow. He stepped again and I stumbled, but found my footing. “Don’t look at your feet. That’ll throw you off. Just let my movements guide you.” He tried a few more times and I stumbled, earning a few chuckles.

“I’m not very good at this,” I sighed.

“That’s cause you’re trying to lead,” he replied, stepping back toward their entertainment center to turn on some music. A slower song started playing over the speakers and he returned, holding me close once more. “All you have to do is trust me. I won’t lead you wrong.”

Pressing a kiss to my cheek, he shifted and began again, his cheek gently brushing my temple. He started in a slow sway, giving me time to adjust to the rhythm before turning me a bit more, guiding me away from the couches and toward the open area closer to the kitchen. After a bit, I stopped trying to anticipate his movements and just followed, enjoying his closeness as the music filled the apartment.

Dancing with Steve was fun and spontaneous. Dancing with Bucky? There was something more than just the movements or even the proximity to him. When I danced with him, I gave him control. I gave him my trust, and even when I stumbled, his hand on my back and gentle grip on my hand kept me upright and smiling.

I don’t know how long we danced, but when the songs began repeating themselves, he slowed us to a stop. We’d made our way through the apartment, Bucky expertly navigating us through the kitchen, around the carpets that covered parts of the wood floor, making sure I never stumbled or bumped into something.

As I lay in bed that night, the familiar weight of Bucky’s arm resting across my side, something clicked. Steve, though bashful, could tell me things, speak his affections. But Bucky? His affection was in every smile and every touch, and though it wasn’t so direct, I knew that he’d never let me fall; even if I did stumble, he’d be there to hold me up and keep me close.

 

***

“Miss Branson?”

 

“Shit!” I jumped, spilling coffee down my lab coat. “Damn it! FRIDAY, give a girl a heads up!”

“I’m so sorry,” she replied. “I wanted to run through some information with you if you had a moment.”

“Can we talk while I clean this up?” She answered the affirmative and I stripped my lab coat off and went in search of the paper towels.

“I’ve noticed some additional entrance and exit times on your keycard for this lab over the past few weeks.”

“Like what?” Just then, my phone _ding_ ’d and I left my search for paper towels to see what she’d sent me.

 

“I’ve sent you the key card activity for the past month. It appears that you’re staying extremely late and even coming in during the night.” Scrolling through, I noticed a few late nights I recognized, but I’d have to read through it more later on. “Why’s it matter? Is Tony unhappy?”

 

“As part of my programming, I monitor the health and safety of the personnel in the building. Your additional lab hours came to my attention.”

 

I quickly looked through some of the times on the sheet, pausing at the entrances around 1 and 2am. “I don’t remember coming in so late… no, I think that’s right. I’d just found the first anomaly around then. Alright, yeah this seems like something I’d do.”

 

“Good to know. I do recommend that you stick to your regular schedule. It’s not safe to work while exhausted.”

 

“Alright, FRIDAY. I will.” Then, I had an idea. “Hey FRIDAY? Is there any way to give me a heads up so I don’t drop my coffee again?”

 

“How’s this?” A light _bing_ sounded and I nodded.

 

“Works for me! Thanks!”

 

“Not a problem.” She fell silent and I stared down at the spilled coffee on the floor. I had weird hours, and Bucky was right that I’d been sneaking in on Sundays to do some extra work when they were busy. That’s probably all it was, but as I scrolled through the time logs a bit more, I noticed there were a few odd ones that I didn’t remember.

 

Suddenly, the door opened and Bruce stepped through, glancing down at the coffee, then back to me.

 

“FRIDAY scared the crap out of me,” I replied and he nodded, chuckling as he got to work.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of fluff, a little bit of domestic stuff, and some heart to heart between Bucky and Sarah.

I floated in that blissful state between deep sleep and consciousness, reveling in the warmth of the soft blankets and the familiar weight of the arm draped across my side. Bucky snored quietly, his front pressed against my back and I smiled to myself. It had been a long time since I’d shared a bed, and though it was so soon, it felt perfect. Sleep took over once more, softly dragging me into the comforting darkness.

The bed shifted behind me and Bucky’s arm disappeared, taking with it the warmth and weight that kept me in the deep sleep I was pulled from. Slowly, I turned over, squinting through the grey light that filtered through the curtains across the room. Bucky had sprawled out on the bed, the covers pushed down to his hips, his flesh arm resting beneath his pillow. At some point during the night, he’d taken his metal arm off, though I wasn’t sure how, and the tank he wore was twisted, revealing the small patch of dark hair just below his navel.

I missed the comfort of his heat and turned over, fitting myself just beneath his shoulder and drifted off to the rhythmic sound of his heartbeat.

***

It wasn’t the sound of the shower that woke me, but the loss of Bucky’s now familiar warmth. I squinted through sleep-fogged eyes as the bathroom door opened and Bucky stepped through, towelling his hair with his flesh hand.

“Morning, Buck,” I smiled, stretching contently.

“Hey, doll,” he replied, pausing to toss the towel over his shoulder. “Sorry about… uh…” He nodded toward where his arm used to be, pushing his damp hair away from his face. 

“Why are you sorry?” I asked, climbing off the bed to press a kiss to his lips. 

“Not everyone takes so well to my arm not being there.” The thought had crossed my mind when I’d snuggled closer to him; I didn’t know the metal appendage could come off. 

“C’mere,” I said, stifling a yawn as I lead him back to the bed. “You don’t need to apologize, babe. This is who you are, a part of you, and you have no reason to be sorry.” 

Pressing a kiss to my forehead, he pushed his wet hair back.. “Some people are bothered by it- whether it’s there or not. It’s almost like people can’t stand to see me without an arm, but at the same time they can’t stand one being there. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.” 

“Bucky, you’re not making me uncomfortable, and if you were I’d tell you. Just like I hope you’d tell me if I did anything to make you uncomfortable.” He nodded quietly, watching as I reached over to wrap my arms around him. He did the same, burying his face in my neck. We stayed like that for a bit and I allowed my eyes to close, taking in his warmth and the smell of his fresh body wash. But it was more than that, it was something that was just so _him_ that could never be replicated. A low grumble broke the silence and I pulled back to laugh as he blushed. “Hungry?” 

“Very.” 

“Let me get dressed and we can get something to eat?” He nodded and I stood to go, but before I could, he tugged me back to stand between his open legs.

“Thank you.” 

“For what?” 

He shrugged. “For caring so much.” With a quick peck on the lips, I made my way down to my apartment to get cleaned up. 

** 

The common room was empty when I returned, knocking quietly on Bucky’s door before heading inside. Immediately, the smell of coffee and waffles overtook me and I followed it to the kitchen where Bucky was cooking eggs while keeping an eye on a waffle maker on the counter. Glancing behind me, he offered a quick smile before opening the waffle maker, revealing a perfectly cooked waffle.   

“Babe, you don’t have to cook all the time.” I wrapped my arms around his waist from behind to press a kiss in the center of his back, but he only chuckled. 

“I like cooking, doll.” He replied, separating the cooked eggs onto two separate places, each with its own waffle. “Come on, before they get cold.” We tucked into our breakfast, Bucky topping his waffle with whipped cream before squirting some onto mine. 

“Thank you for breakfast. You know I’ll be happy to cook too.”

“My pleasure! I enjoy cooking. And I know you will, I figured that I was already here, so why not start?” The waffles were so good and I wondered if he’d made them from scratch or from a box. I could never get mine to come out so fluffy. 

“Why do you like cooking so much?” I asked, “Seems like Steve enjoys it too.” 

He hummed in agreement. “I used to help my ma back before the war. And there’s a lot more around now than canned beans and spam.” 

“Oh wow,” I cringed, “When I was a kid, we used to call SPAM ‘Stuff Posing As Meat.’ Kind of stupid thinking about it now, but…” 

“It takes a bit of getting used to,” he chucked. “We had it a lot in the army. It was cheap and easy to ship over. And I didn’t really eat when I was- you know, the Soldier. So when I finally got out, food was one of the hardest things to get used to.” I didn’t want to ask, but he seemed to sense my question. “IV nutrients.” He supplied. “Cheaper, faster, and easier for them to control.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be,” he shrugged. “Seriously, it’s ok. What I went through, it already happened. It’s over.” He paused for a moment and I took his metal hand in mine, squeezing it gently. “Do you know, the first fruit I had when I finally was free was a plum?” 

“Really?” 

He nodded. “When I finally settled in Romania, I was able to mess around with food. It was tight thinking back on it, but God, I loved plums.” 

“What did you do over there?” 

“A lot, actually.” He bit off a piece of waffle and chewed thoughtfully for a moment. “I did a lot of work under the table. Mostly heavy lifting. Helped this old lady once in the market, that’s how I got the plums. She was trying to load her cart but the box was too heavy and I caught it before she could fall. I showed up almost every day after that, helped her load and unload her cart and she gave me some of the older fruits. 

“Word spread and I got a bit of a reputation there. Before I knew it, I was getting a mix of pocket change and leftover groceries for helping a lot of the farmers. That lady - she put me up in her barn for a while in the winter until I had enough to get a small apartment in town. I used to fix stuff in her house and she’d feed me. It felt nice, you know? I could do something useful and good with myself. And that stupid arm was doing good for once.”

“That sounds really nice. I’m glad she was there to help you.” I couldn’t help but admire the faraway look on his face as he remembered the smaller details.

“Before I knew it, I was running errands for her, especially in the bad weather.” Bucky chuckled to himself as he took another bite of waffle. “I’d go to the butcher for her too. She told everyone I was her nephew and not to bother me because I’d had a hard time. It was like she understood. She called me her bear and laughed because I was so big, but so quiet and shy. Hell, I even started working for the butcher when she ran out of things she wanted fixed in her little house. She taught me recipes she knew, easy ones that didn’t take a lot of ingredients. And that’s how I realized that I hadn’t had a decent meal in almost seventy years.” He pressed a kiss to my hand before sitting back, his thumb tracing my knuckles. “Sorry- I didn’t mean to talk so much.” 

“Why are you sorry?” I replied. “I love hearing your stories.” 

“Really?” I nodded.

“You know, when Steve took me out, he talked about you so much.” He squeezed my hand, trying to hide his blush. “It was really cute.”

“He’s a softie.” Bucky chuckled.

“I don’t think he’s the only one,” I replied. “I like it. It’s really nice to see how much you guys love each other. And I’m not going to lie, but it’s making me fall for you even more now.”

“Really?”

I nodded. “Yeah babe! If you guys weren’t serious about each other, then I’d be nervous about being in this relationship. But you guys fit so naturally together that I can’t even picture one of you without the other.”

“So you’re fallin’ for us, huh?” He asked so cooly, but I could see the pink in his cheeks.

“Maybe,” I replied, but couldn’t help but to mirror his smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who stopped by, left kudos, and left comments!! I'm super excited to update soon!! I've been reading your comments and definitely taking some things to heart! I live for your responses and love every second of them!! Thank you <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks a ton for reading! Feedback is greatly appreciated!!!


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